Class II. WOODCOCK SNIPE. 45 



forced away for want of sustenance by the first 

 frosts. In the winter they are found in vast 

 plenty as far south as Smyrna and Aleppo^, 

 and in the same season in Barbary\, wdiere the 

 Africans call them, the ass of the partridge: 

 and we have been told, that some have appear- 

 ed as far south as Egypt, which are the remotest 

 migrations we can trace them to on that side of 

 the eastern world ; on the other side, they are 

 found very common in Japan'^. The birds that 

 resort into the countries of the Levant, proba- 

 bly come from the desarts of Sibiria or Tar- 

 tar y^, or the cold mountains oi Arinenia^. 



Our species of woodcock is unknown in North 

 America; a kind^[ is found there that has the 

 general appearance of it; but is scarcely half the 

 size, and wants the bars on the breast and 

 belly. 



The weight of the woodcock is usually about Descrip- 

 twelve ounces;** the length near fourteen 

 inches; the breadth twenty-six. The bill is three 



* RusseVs hist. Aleppo, 64. f Shaw's travels, 253. ■ 



J Kaempfers hist. Japan, i. \2Q. § Bell's travels, i. I98. 



II The woodcock visits Greece, with the first severe weather. 

 In November, and does not remain later than February. Ed. 



^ Tlie little woodcock. Arci. Zool. ii. l65. Latham. Syn. 

 V. 131. Ed. 



** I have been credibly Informed that one was killed near • 



Holywell which reached the weight of twenty ounces. 



