Wayne: Birds of South Carolina. 45 



The Woodcock (Philohela minor) arrived in countless thousands. Prior to 

 their arrival I had seen but two birds the entire winter. They were everywhere 

 and were completely bewildered. Tens of thousands were killed by would-be 

 sportsmen, and thousands were frozen to death. The great majority were so 

 emaciated that they were practically feathers and of course were unable to with- 

 stand the cold. One man killed two hundred pairs in a few hours. I shot a dozen 

 birds. Late Tuesday afternoon I easily caught several birds on the snow and put 

 them into a thawed spot on the edge of a swift-running stream in order that they 

 would not perish, but upon going to the place the next morning I found one frozen. 

 These were fearfully emaciated and could scarcely fly. Two birds were killed in 

 Charleston in Broad street. It will be many years before this fine bird can es- 

 tablish itself under the most favorable conditions. 



The Woodcock "peeps" and sings from the last of December 

 until the middle of f March — this being its 'love song. Audubon 

 states that the eggs are laid from February to June. This is 

 substantiated by a fine set of four eggs which were found on Capers' 

 Island, February 13, 1903. The nest was on the ground, on a 

 slightly rising plain, and near a wet cover. The eggs were per- 

 fectly fresh. On March 4, 1903, another Woodcock nest was 

 found with four freshly-laid eggs. 



The nest was merely a depression in the ground, lined with 

 pine needles or dry leaves. The eggs, which are usually four in 

 number, are buffy, spotted and blotched with brown and subdued 

 lavender, and measure 1.50X1.15. The Woodcock's nest is 

 very hard to find; indeed, the two nests above mentioned are 

 the only ones I have seen during the past twenty-five years. 



94. Gallinago delicata (Ord) . Wilson's Snipe. 



The local name of this winter visitant on our coast is ' ' English 

 Snipe," and I have known it by that name since I was a boy. 

 I doubt if there is a state in the whole Union where these birds 

 are found in larger numbers. 



Wilson's Snipe generally arrives about August 15 and remains 

 until late in April, but during very cold weather it is forced 

 to migrate to milder regions because its feeding grounds are 

 frozen. The birds are most abundant during the months of Feb- 

 ruary and March, and at that time multitudes frequent the rice 

 plantations, provided the water is not too deep over the land. 

 The spec.es seldom visits the salt marshes or even the coast is- 

 lands where there are freshwater ponds, but appears to prefer 

 the mainland at all times. It is, however, very erratic in its 

 movements, and in places where hundreds were found one 

 day, none are to be seen the following day. This peculiar habit 



