by a sitting bird suddenly surprised, when she will " bleat " 

 as she leaves her eggs, possibly to distract the intruder on 

 her vigil. 



The woodcock has a " love-fight " but of a quite different 

 character, known by sportsmen as "roding." It takes the 

 form of short flights up and down the " ride," or space selected 

 for the nesting site. But while the female is sitting the male 

 will still continue these flights, choosing the early morning 

 and evenings. As he goes he utters strange cries, which have 

 been compared, by some, to the words " more rain to- 

 morrow," and by others to " Cro-ho, cro-ho," varied by a 

 note sounding like " whee-e-cap." These flights are varied 

 by strange little displays upon the ground, when he will strut 

 about before his mate with wings drooped and trailing on the 

 ground, the tail spread, and the feathers of the head and neck 

 standing on end. This gives him a very odd appearance, to 

 human eyes, but it serves its purpose — which is to arouse his 

 mate to amorous moods. 



Redshank, curlew, and dunlin — cousins of the snipe and 

 woodcock — are all accompUshed performers in the art of 

 wooing on the wing. The male redshank, uttering flute-like 

 notes, Mr. Farren tells us, soars up to a moderate height^ and 

 remains, for a brief space, " hanging in the wind " with the 

 tips of his curved wings rapidly vibrating. He then descends, 

 pipit -like, earthwards, while the song, which has been uttered 



57 



