220 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [cHap. xxviit. 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
Woodcock’s Nest: Early Breeding of; Habits of, in Spring; First Arrival 
of; Anecdotes of; Manner of Carrying their Young—Habits of Snipe— 
Number of Jack-Snipes—Solitary Snipe. 
March 9, 1846.—A woodcock’s nest, with three eggs, was 
brought to me to-day. Two years ago, a boy brought me a 
young woodcock nearly full-grown, and fledged, in the second 
week of April—the exact day Ido not remember. Reckoning 
from this, I should suppose that the woodcock is about the first 
bird to hatch in this country. A few years ago, it was supposed 
that none remained in Britain after the end of winter, except a 
few wounded birds, which were unable to cross the sea to their 
usual breeding-places. 
However, since the great increase of fir-plantations, great 
numbers remain to breed. In the woods of Altyre and Darnaway 
(as well as in all the other extensive plantations in the country), 
during the whole spring and summer, I see the woodcocks flying 
to and fro every evening in considerable numbers. As early as 
six or seven o’clock, they begin to fly, uttering their curious cry, 
which resembles more the croak of a frog than anything else; 
varied, however, by a short shrill chirp. Down the shaded 
course of the river, or through the avenues and glades of the 
forest, already dark from the shadow of the pine-trees, the 
woodcocks keep up a continual flight, passing and repassing in 
all directions, as if in search of each other. As the twilight 
comes on, in the open part of the country, they leave the shade 
of the woods and fly down to the swamps and pools near the sea- 
shore and elsewhere, to feed during the night. When watching 
in the evening for wild ducks or geese near the swamps by the 
shore, I have constantly seen them pitch close to me, and com- 
mence feeding in their peculiar manner. These birds must pro- 
bably come from the Altyre woods, the nearest point of which is 
at a distance of two or three miles. In the evening the wood- 
