THE WOODCOCK. 241 



that " the white woodcock, meutioned by Bewick for its remarkable reappearance in 

 three successive winters, is still preserved at Penrice Castle" (p. 8). 



Numbers reported to have been killed. — The ' Sporting Review ' 

 for October 1847, contains an extremely interesting article (dated 

 " Sweden, December 184-6") from the pen of a distinguished 

 sportsman, Mr. Lloyd, entitled ' Woodcock and Snipe Shooting ' 

 (p. 249-260). The author descants on the sport to be had in 

 various parts of Europe, and gives his experience in Ireland very 

 fully. I shall extract what is said of numbers killed. 



" A field-officer of the Tipperary militia, with whom I was in company many years 

 ago, told me that he himself was present when fifty couple were bagged by an 

 acquaintance in a single day ! It was for a considerable wager ; the individual per- 

 forming the feat being unlimited as to the number of guns, &c. I forget the name 

 of the cover, but it was one of the best in Ireland, and of course strictly preserved. 

 Again, the late Lord Glent worth assured me that, in 1842, Mr. Matthew Barrington 

 and his party, probably consisting of five or six guns, bagged in one day, on Lord 

 Limerick's property, Dromore Wood, seventy-two couple. Though in former years, 

 from 1814 to 1822, I have occasionally shot in various parts of Ireland, I never had 

 any extraordinary success with cocks ; but this was attributable to my not happening 

 to shoot in good covers when the frost was severe and the snow deep on the ground 

 At such times, by the concurrent testimony of every one, many of the woods in that 

 count 17 are literally alive with those birds. Nevertheless, I have frequently met 

 with excellent diversion. One day I bagged fifteen couple ; another day, twelve ; and 

 on many different occasions from ten to eleven couple. During the several excur- 

 sions made to that country I shot hard upon 700 couple. * * * Should a man 

 be fortunate enough to get access to a succession of first-rate covers, he might, 1 

 have little doubt, readily kill 500 couple to his own gun in a single season. But to 

 obtain this privilege is a matter of great difficulty. * * * At Mucruss, Killar- 

 ney, one day, Mr. Chichester Oxenden killed, with a single barrel, tweuty-two and 

 a half couple ; but this gentleman is a very first-rate shot, particularly at cocks. 



" The system of battues, as with us, is now very general ; but these seldom take 

 place until about Christmas, by which time the severity of the weather usually drives 

 the cocks from the mountains into cover. The show is then often immense, and the 

 slaughter proportionally great. Individuals have assured me that on these occasions 

 they have seeu from 200 to 300 couple on the wing in the course of the day, and 

 there is no reason to doubt the statement. For my own part, however, I do not 

 think I ever flushed more than from twenty-five to thirty couple : but then I usually 

 shot in a quiet way, and alone. 



" Taken altogether, my best season in Ireland was 1820. I commenced on the 

 5th December, and finished towards the end of March. Generally speaking, the 

 weather was mild and very rainy, and of course unfavourable for woodcocks." [The 

 number of all kinds of birds, &c, killed is given ; but it is very small in every 



VOL. II. R 



