126 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 
cannot be too often dwelt upon, as enthusiasts run 
riot on this subject, and do damage to a good cause 
by injudicious condemnation. The accompany- 
ing illustration is a small example of what I 
mean. All know that birds, like ourselves, have 
eyes and ears, and one knows that the relative 
positions thereof are as in ourselves—the ear lies 
behind the eye. No book that I am aware of 
has any intimation that any other order exists ; 
Fie. 7. 
Head of Woodcock, to show the position of the Ear. 
but one day, a winter or so ago, I shot a Wood- 
cock, and for the purpose of making a minute 
study of the bird examined it closely, when I 
found that the ear was in front of the eye. I at 
once consulted all my bird books, but found no 
reference to this strange fact. I then examined 
ten other birds, and though they varied individually, 
not one but had the ear somewhat in front of the 
eye. 
The woodcock’s food is mainly obtained by 
