﻿300 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  Woodcock 
  lays 
  her 
  eggs 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  slight 
  elevation 
  of 
  ground 
  

   in 
  the 
  swamp, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  the 
  woods. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  nest 
  in 
  

   Ontario 
  count 
  \' 
  in 
  dr}^ 
  oak 
  and 
  pine 
  woods 
  on 
  hilltops 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  

   2000 
  feet, 
  but 
  usually 
  the 
  lowland 
  woods 
  are 
  preferred. 
  There 
  is 
  slight 
  

   attempt 
  at 
  nest 
  -building, 
  the 
  eggs 
  being 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  dr}- 
  leaves, 
  or 
  a 
  few 
  

   dried 
  grasses 
  and 
  bits 
  of 
  leaves 
  drawn 
  together 
  for 
  a 
  bed. 
  The}^ 
  are 
  four 
  

   in 
  number, 
  ovate 
  in 
  shape, 
  of 
  a 
  buffy 
  color 
  spotted 
  with 
  reddish 
  brown 
  and 
  

   purplish 
  gray, 
  and 
  average 
  1.56 
  x 
  1.22 
  inches 
  in 
  dimensions. 
  The 
  young 
  

   are 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  rusty 
  buif- 
  colored 
  down, 
  marked 
  above 
  with 
  deep 
  chest- 
  

   nut, 
  and 
  follow 
  their 
  mother 
  soon 
  after 
  hatching. 
  Within 
  two 
  weeks 
  they 
  

   are 
  able 
  to 
  fly 
  a 
  short 
  distance, 
  but 
  usually 
  escape 
  their 
  enemies 
  by 
  lying 
  

   absolutely 
  still 
  among 
  the 
  brush 
  and 
  leaves. 
  The 
  old 
  bird 
  is 
  deeply 
  attached 
  

   to 
  her 
  young 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  disturbed 
  flutters 
  about 
  the 
  intruder 
  

   uttering 
  a 
  pitiable 
  whining 
  sound 
  and 
  frantically 
  endeavors 
  to 
  distract 
  

   one's 
  attention 
  and 
  lure 
  him 
  from 
  the 
  chicks. 
  They 
  also 
  cling 
  closely 
  to 
  

   their 
  nests 
  when 
  incubating 
  and 
  will 
  often 
  allow 
  themselves 
  to 
  be 
  raised 
  

   from 
  the 
  eggs 
  with 
  a 
  stick 
  or 
  even 
  by 
  the 
  hand 
  rather 
  than 
  desert 
  them. 
  

   After 
  a 
  severe 
  snowstorm 
  in 
  early 
  April 
  Mr 
  Edward 
  Reinecke 
  of 
  Buffalo 
  

   found 
  several 
  nests 
  of 
  woodcock 
  by 
  tracking 
  the 
  hens 
  over 
  the 
  snow 
  and, 
  

   noticing 
  where 
  they 
  had 
  sat 
  down 
  or 
  scratched 
  on 
  the 
  surface, 
  he 
  dug 
  down 
  

   and 
  fotmd 
  the 
  eggs 
  buried 
  under 
  several 
  inches 
  of 
  snow. 
  

  

  Gallinago 
  delicata 
  (Ord) 
  

   Wilson 
  Snipe 
  

  

  Plate 
  32 
  

  

  Scolopax 
  delicata 
  Ord. 
  Wilson's 
  Ornithology. 
  1825. 
  9:218 
  

   Scolopax 
  wilsoni 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  256 
  

   Gallinago 
  delicata 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  230 
  

  

  gallind'go, 
  Lat. 
  (from 
  gallina, 
  a 
  hen), 
  henlike; 
  delicd'ta, 
  delicious 
  

  

  Description. 
  Upper 
  parts 
  black, 
  striped 
  and 
  mottled 
  with 
  buffy 
  whitish; 
  

   foreneck 
  and 
  breast 
  ocherous 
  buff 
  obscurely 
  mottled 
  with 
  blackish; 
  throat 
  

   and 
  belly 
  white; 
  sides 
  and 
  under 
  wing 
  coverts 
  and 
  axillars 
  barred 
  with 
  black; 
  

   under 
  tail 
  coverts 
  buffy 
  marked 
  with 
  blackish; 
  wings 
  dusky, 
  the 
  coverts 
  

   tipped 
  or 
  mottled 
  with 
  whitish, 
  and 
  outer 
  edge 
  of 
  first 
  primary 
  white; 
  

  

  