252 SCOLOPACIDyE. 



without going out of his way to look after them ; they fly very much 

 about his cottage, situated in a beautiful open glade, and from near 

 its door may be seen on wing every evening. I obtained all the pre- 

 ceding information when at Tolly more Park in August 1836, and 

 June 1838. On the 28th of the latter month I visited the park in the 

 hope of seeing some of these birds ; but the evening was so fine and 

 light that they did not commence flying until very late, and then dark- 

 ness suddenly came on. At half-past nine o'clock the first were heard, 

 when a pair swept past within about thirty yards, uttering the two suc- 

 cessive calls, as above described. From this time, until half an hour 

 had elapsed — when it was in vain to attempt seeing them — several 

 single birds were heard : they gave utterance only to the other call, 

 stated to resemble in sound the word Imp quickly uttered. 



1843. — Since 1838, the number of woodcocks remaining to breed in 

 Tollymore Park has been on the increase. In 1842, nine nests were 

 observed, and in 1843 twenty-two ! In the latter year, a brood of 

 young birds was seen on the first of August, within thirty paces of the 

 gamekeeper's cottage ; three of them flew off when approached, but 

 the fourth remained and was captured. Its plumage was complete 

 except on the neck, where down appeared. When once " coming on " a 

 brood of these birds, the keeper was made aware of their presence by the 

 parent rising within about four feet of him with what he considered to 

 be a young one in its claw, with which it flew about twenty yards into 

 the wood. On alighting, such an outcry was kept up that he felt sure 

 more young birds must be near. For some time he could not perceive 

 them, they so much resembled the colour of the ground ; but at length 

 three were espied, within five feet of where he stood. When he first saw 

 them, they squatted close to the ground with their bills resting on it ; 

 but the moment his eye was fixed on them, they rose to their feet, threw 

 up their wings in the grotesque manner of an owl, and inclined their 

 bodies awkwardly, first to one side and then to the other. He lifted 

 one, examined its plumage, and set it down with the others, then 

 walked away to a short distance, when they all rose and flew off, quite 

 strong on the wing. The gamekeeper has particularly remarked that 

 young woodcocks lie squatted on the ground until his eye rested full 

 upon them, which invariably acted as a signal for them to " get on 

 their feet." 



So early as the 8th of March, 1S45, the keeper remarked in a letter 



