250 SGOLOPACIDiE. 



she was always observed to hide her bill to its base in the grass or 

 withered ferns about the nest ; the eggs were all productive, and were 

 (he thinks) incubated for three weeks. The young left the nest just 

 after birth, and were not again seen until able to use their wings, when 

 they frequently appeared about the place : the male bird remained 

 about a dozen paces from the nest during the incubation of his partner. 

 From other woodcocks having been seen in the park that summer, it 

 was believed that they must also have had nests, but the one only was 

 discovered; eventually, however, a second pair of woodcocks was 

 sprung along with five young ones, the old birds taking first to flight : 

 the young — completely feathered, except on the head and neck, where 

 down was still displayed — were able to fly over the trees, whilst those 

 produced in the nest alluded to, were but three days " out." 



In the summer of 1836, my informant saw in one day five old wood- 

 cocks in the park (the same bird, he is certain, could not have been 

 twice reckoned) ; and though he had not seen any of their nests that year, 

 he on one occasion saw three young birds. He is of opinion that wood- 

 cocks pair before leaving this country in the spring for more northern 

 climates,* and remarks, that in their evening flight at this season they 

 " twist " amazingly, the hinder one following the foremost through 

 every curve or sinuosity of its course, which is extremely rapid. Their 

 call may now be expressed by the word Jiisp, his accurate repetition of 

 which has brought them back when flying past him ; during the 

 breeding-season they, in addition to this, have calls which sound like 

 waap-waap — weep-weep, succeeding each other, and repeated as here set 

 down : both sexes are considered to make use of the two calls. f At 

 the season of incubation, they call at early dawn, and their flight is now 

 very different from that in the month of March, being slow or with the 

 wings scarcely moving. Occasionally they may be seen circling about 

 " as if in play," at all events, describing such a course as evinces 

 that they cannot be in search of food. In winter, woodcocks have a 

 regular line of flight from the covers to their feeding-ground ; 

 and my informant, by taking his stand at particular spots, has shot 

 many of them. J 



* I have frequently remarked that they kept in pairs, or that a pair would be 

 sprung from near the same spot throughout the winter, both in covers and on the 

 mountain heaths. 



t When quietly sprung in winter, I have heard them utter a low note. 



\ The Rev. G. Robinson, when residing at Parkview, Tanderagee (Armagh), re- 



