BIRDS OF THE SHORE AND MARSHES 221 



covered. Owing to the position of the eyes, at the back of 

 the head, food must be felt rather than seen; but, so sensi- 

 tive is the tip of the bill, and so far out of sight are the 

 worms, in any case, the eyes serve a better purpose in being 

 placed where they widen the bird's vision and so detect an 

 enemy afar. It is claimed by some that, like the owls, 

 woodcock see best at night. Worms come to the surface 

 after dark, which explains this and many other birds' 

 nocturnal habits. 



In the early spring any one who takes an interest in the 

 woodcock, aside from its flavor, will be repaid for one's 

 tramp through the swale, at evening, to see the bird go 

 through a series of aerial antics and attestations of affec- 

 tion to his innamorata. Standing with his bill pointing 

 downward and his body inclined forward, he calls out pink, 

 ■pink, as much as to say: "Now look, the performance is 

 about to begin " ; then suddenly he springs from the ground, 

 flies around in circles, his short stiff wings whistling as he 

 goes higher, higher, faster, faster, and louder and louder, 

 as he sweeps by overhead in erratic circles, each overlap- 

 ping the other, until the end of the spiral described must be 

 fuUy three hundred feet from the ground. Now, uttering 

 a sharp whistle, down he comes, pitching, darting, and 

 finally alighting very near the spot from which he set out. 

 Pink, pink, he again caUs, to make sure his efforts are not 

 lost upon the object of his affection, and before he can fairly 

 have recovered his breath, off he goes on another series of 

 gyrations accompanied by wing music. Or, he may dance 

 jigs when in the actual presence of the loved one. Cranes, 

 plovers, owls, and flickers, among others, go through 

 clownish performances to win their mates, but the wood- 

 hen remains coy and apparently coldly indifferent to the 



