marked with black ; rump light rusty red barred with blackish ; quills black, the outer ones barred 

 with ochreous, the inner ones with rusty red ; tail black marked with rusty red and tipped with buffy 

 grey on the upper surface and white on the under surface of the feathers ; chin white ; sides of the head 

 and upper throat greyish, marked with dark brown and tinged with rufous ; a dark streak from the base 

 of the bill to the eye ; rest of the underparts dull rufous white marked with narrow transverse undu- 

 lating bars of dusky brown ; bill dull flesh-colour, becoming dark brown towards the tip ; legs dull 

 greyish flesh-colour or flesh-brown; iris blackish brown. Total length about 13 - 5 inches, culmen 3 - 2, 

 wing 7-7, tail 3-35, tarsus 1*4. 



Adult Female. Resembles the male, but is rather larger in size. 



Young (Archangel, 7th June) . Resembles the adult, but has the forehead less grey and marked with buff 

 and dark brown, and the under surface of the body is paler than in the adult, 



The range of the Woodcock is extensive; for it is found throughout Europe, breeding in 

 Northern and Central Europe, and wintering in the southern countries and in North Africa, 

 ranging eastward in Asia to Japan, and southward to Ceylon. 



In Great Britain it is most numerous during passage ; but it breeds sparingly in almost all 

 parts of the country, and is found also in some numbers during winter. Mr. A. G. More writes 

 (Ibis, 1865, p. 437) that it is "reported as breeding occasionally in nearly every county through- 

 out England and the south of Scotland. Further north it becomes more numerous, and may be 

 considered to breed regularly from Perthshire northwards to Caithness. There is no doubt that 

 many more birds remain to breed now than formerly ; and this increase appears to be owing to 

 the great extent of country which has been covered with plantations during the past few years." 

 I find records of its breeding in various parts of England too numerous to cite here. Mr. Hancock 

 says (B. of North, and Durh. p. 102), in Northumberland and Durham it is " a resident. The 

 Woodcock arrives on our coast in October, and departs in spring ; but a few remain in the 

 district to breed. Several nests have been taken ; one containing young, was found near Hollyn 

 Hall, on the banks of the Tyne, by the gamekeeper of Edward James, Esq., a few years ago ; 

 one of the parent birds was shot from the nest. . On the 6th of April 1869, a nest of eggs was 

 also taken at Dilston ; and in April 1872 a nest with four eggs, two of which are in my collection, 

 was found near Medomsley, on the Derwent. This nest had been forsaken in consequence of a 

 fall of snow, in which the eggs were covered. In the same year three broods were found in 

 Chopwell woods, in the valley of the Derwent. I am indebted to Mr. Isaac Clark for this 

 information, from which it appears that the Woodcock is a pretty constant breeder in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Tyne. Several other nests have occurred in Northumberland and Durham. 

 Between the years 1868 and 1872 seven nests of the Woodcock were found on the banks of the 

 Tyne, between Dilston and Prudhoe, in April and May. In three of them the young were 

 hatched ; four others had their full complement of eggs." Eespecting its occurrence in Scotland, 

 Mr. E. Gray writes (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 308) as follows:—" In the winter time the Woodcock 

 may be said to be plentiful in North and South Uist and in Benbecula, as well as other parts of 

 the Long Island ; but it does not, so far as I can learn, remain in these districts to breed. It 

 has, however, been ascertained beyond a doubt that it breeds occasionally in Mull. Mr. Graham 

 informs me that a party of pea-cutters found a young brood on that island, opposite Iona, and 



