THE WOODCOCK »SS 



the case. So conscious do they seem that their great security lies in 

 concealment, that they will remain motionless until a dog is almost 

 on them or until the beater reaches the very bush under which they 

 are crouching. When at length roused, they start up with a whirr, 

 winding and twisting through the overhanging boughs, and make 

 for the nearest open place ahead ; now, however, flying in almost a 

 straight line, tiLL discovering another convenient lurkuig-place, 

 they descend suddenly, to be ' marked ' for another shot. About 

 twilight, the Woodcock awakens out of its lethargy, and repairs 

 to its feeding-ground. Observation having shown that on these 

 occasions it does not trouble itself to mount above the trees before 

 it starts, but makes for the nearest clear place in the wood through 

 which it gains the open country, fowlers were formerly in the habit 

 of erecting in glades in the woods, two high poles, from which was 

 suspended a fine net. This was so placed as to hang across the 

 course which the birds were likely to take, and when a cock flew 

 against it, the net was suddenly made to drop by the concealed 

 fowler, and the bird caught, entangled in the meshes. Not many 

 years ago, these nets were commonly employed in the woods, near 

 the coast of the north of Devon, and they are said stUl to be in use 

 on the Continent. The passages through which the birds flew 

 were known by the name of ' cockroads ', and ' cockshoots '. 



The localities which Woodcocks most frequent are places which 

 abound in earthworms, their favourite food. These they obtain 

 either by turning over lumps of decaying vegetable matter and 

 picking up the scattered worms, or by thrusting their bills into the 

 soft earth, where (guided by scent it is supposed) they speedily find 

 any worm lying hid, and having drawn it out, swallow it whole, 

 with much dexterity. When the earth is frozen hard, they shift 

 their ground, repairing to the neighbourhood of the sea, or of springs ; 

 and now, probably, they are less select in their diet, feeding on any 

 living animal matter that may fall in their way. In March they 

 change their quarters again, preparatory to quitting the country ; 

 hence it often happens that considerable numbers are seen at this 

 season in places where none had been observed during the previous 

 winter. They now have a call-note, though before they have been 

 quite mute ; it is said by some to resemble the syllables pitt-pitt- 

 coor, by others to be very like the croak of a frog. The French have 

 invented the verb croMer, to express it, and distinguish Woodcock 

 shooting by the name croule. Some sportsmen wisely recommend 

 that no Woodcock should be shot after the middle of February ; for it 

 has been ascertained that increasing numbers of these remain for 

 the purpose of breeding in this country ; and it is conjectured, with 

 reason, that if they were left undistiubed in their spring haunts, 

 they would remain in yet larger numbers. As it is, there are few 

 counties in England in which their nest has not been discovered; 

 and there are some few localities in which it is one of the pleasant 



