98 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



these birds always give warning by a whistling noise with 

 tlieir wings, and seldom rise higher thana man's head, skim- 

 ming over tlie ground with a slow and steady flight, to but 

 a sliort distance, wlien tlicy settle again in the grass — but 

 their character is entirely changed, when the shooting 

 is confined to bushes and thickets, as it then constitutes 

 one of the most difficult feats to kill them, their course 

 being very indirect and unsteady, and differing altogether 

 from the flight of other game, springing rapidly from the 

 ground, and risingperpendicularly, until they clear the tops 

 of the trees orbushes, when their flightbecomesmore steady, 

 but out of reach, and it requires much experience and judg- 

 ment to embrace the proper moment to shoot before they 

 make the twistings and turnings, in order to pass between 

 the trees, for this most generally disconcerts every one 

 who is not an expert shot. 



To foDowWoodcocks successfully, two persons should al- 

 ways hunt together, so that, when the birds are sprung, they 

 will be the better able to mark the sjiot where they settle 

 again; as success depends, in a great measure, on marking 

 them properly, it is advisable for one to walk in the centre 

 of the thicket, while the other keeps outside, as in narrow 

 swamps, the birds will universally dart out of some open- 

 ing, and fly along the edge, until they determine to settle 

 again, and the chances of killing arc twofold in favour of 

 the one outside, besides the opportunities of marking. 



In Europe every sport has its particular description of 

 dogs, to which their use is solely applied: thus, there is the 

 stag-hound, and the fox-hound — for hunting hares the grey- 

 hound — for the different vermin, the beagle, harrier and ter- 

 rier — for grouse, the pointer; for partridges and pheasant, 

 the setter, and for Woodcock the springer, or cocking 

 spaniel. In this country, our sportsmen, for shooting pur- 

 poses, confine themselves to the pointer and setter dogs, 

 and arc mostl)- guided in their choice by taste, rather than 

 judgment, and use them indiscriminately for grouse, phea- 

 sant, partridge, woodcock and snipe. The Springer is but 

 little known here, and is, in fact, the only proper dog to 

 hunt Woodcocks, as it never points, but is most assiduous 

 in pursuit, and on the instant of springing the bird, gives 

 warning to its master: but, in the absence of this dog, 

 the setter is undoubtedly preferable to the pointer; the na- 

 ture of the ground to be hunted over is more suited to his 

 disposition and habits, and being less mindful also of 

 briars and thickets, will not only perform more to the satis- 

 faction of his master, but withstand greater fatigue than 

 the pointer. 



The double gun should always be used after this de- 

 scription of game, as the fault of shooting too soon occurs 

 more frequently in cripples, than on any other ground, 

 and success is threefold more in favour of the second dis- 



charge than the first fire, as the bird, by this period, has 

 only gained the proper killing distance. Very small shot, 

 say No. 9, is sufficiently large to kill them, there being no 

 American bird of the same magnitude which possesses so 

 frail a skin, and is more easily pcneti-ated. 



After shooting at a bird, in case its fliglit continues, the 

 course, and spot in which it settles, should be particularly 

 marked; as it frequently happens they will fly to a much 

 greater distance with a mortal wound, than otherwise, and 

 many birds are lost to the sportsman, from his neglect in 

 this point. 



Persons frequently return from Woodcock shooting un- 

 successful, in consequence of not hunting the ground well; 

 too much care cannot, therefore, be employed in beating a 

 thicket, and very slow progress should always be made 

 through high grass, as the tenacity of these birds to their 

 places of repose will subject them to be almost trodden 

 upon without taking wing, and it will be well for the 

 sportsman to halt every few yards, as this will tend to flush 

 them, when constant motion would keep them quiet. 



In October and November, the Woodcocks forsake their 

 usual feeding-ground, and are to be found in tall, swampy 

 woods, small streams, overgrown with bushes, and newly 

 cleared land; their favourite food consists of insects, larva 

 of insects, and earth-worms; therefore, when the approach- 

 ing cold weather drives the latter deep into the ground, 

 they then resort to woods and bush-land, where, beneath 

 the leaves, they glean a subsistence on insects. This is the 

 only proper season to shoot them; they are then fat, and 

 much larger than in July, and generally free from vermin. 



In June, they are to be met witli in almost every 

 swampy meadow; but their number is generally confined 

 to from two to six; as, however, the season advances, and 

 the young birds mature, the drought drives them to those 

 wet feeding-grounds before mentioned, into which they 

 sometimes concentrate in great numbers. These places 

 are then resorted to by sportsmen, who frequently make 

 most incredible havoc and waste of life among them, some- 

 times killing such quantities, that before night approaches 

 those birds killed in the morning are putrificd. This un- 

 necessary destruction of life should be avoided; it adds 

 nothing to the sportsman's character as a good shot, and 

 most certainly detracts from his feelings of humanity; 

 that number should suffice which may be conveniently 

 kept, and rendered suitable for the table. 



The Woodcock is considered a nocturnal bird, and does 

 all its feeding and migratory flights during tliis season; in- 

 deed, its sight is very imperfect in the day time, and the 

 construction of the eye evidently unfits it for the glare of 

 day: hence the reason why it selects, in low bushes and 

 long grass, those sombre retreats from which it never vol- 



