WOODCOCK. 425 



on a ground the whole season sometimes seem very nervous 

 and restless, jumping up wildly and flying far ; in the same 

 cover, after the storm, no birds can be found. 



The flight of the Woodcock, when first flushed, is short 

 and very slow. In summer, the same bird may often be shot 

 at eight or ten times, by persistent and thorough searching. 

 He lies with his head dropped on his shoulders, and on rising 

 makes one or two sharp whistles with his wings. It often 

 happens, however, especially if the bird goes on to dry 

 ground or into long grass, or if he drops, as he often does, 

 like a stone, without running, that the best dog cannot find 

 him by scent. Many and many a time in summer the bird 

 may be marked down accurately, and may be found only by 

 actually kicking him up. A little study shows this to be 

 quite accidental, depending upon the condition of the ground, 

 upon the kind of cover, and upon whether the bird runs or 

 not. It is a fact which has some bearing on the vexed ques- 

 tion whether or not the Quail voluntarily withhold their scent. 



The structure of Woodcock's eyes is very peculiar, being 

 adapted to their habits of moving and feeding at night ; and 

 the birds not unfrequently fly against telegraph-wires in the 

 day-time, and are thus killed. Our species differs radically 

 from the European. The general appearance and markings 

 of the latter are wholly different, especially in his being 

 waved beneath. He is a third larger, two thirds less luscious, 

 much more indolent, and wholly silent on the wing. He may 

 be described generally as a cross between a Curlew and an 

 Owl. Our Woodcock is not a warbler, and does not alight 

 on trees, the assertions of our farmers to the contrary not- 

 withstanding. 



d. His notes are few and unmusical.* In spring, at the 

 time of his antics in the air, he utters a series of peculiar 

 and rather harsh but not very loud notes. Wilson speaks of 

 his " sudden quack" and says that " when uttering his com- 

 mon note on the ground, he seems to do it with difficulty, 



* To the ears of most persons, the of the water-whistles sold by hoys in 

 vocal sounds which the Woodcock ut- our city streets. The cry which he 

 ters during his song flights in early utters on the ground at this aeaaon is 

 spring are highly musical and pleas- certainly harsh and unmusical. — W. B. 



