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Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt-Drake says that it is common in Morocco in winter; but M. Favier writes 

 that it is " not abundant around Tangier, arriving during November and departing in March." 

 How far south it straggles in West Africa I am unable to say ; but it would seem not to range 

 very far; and though Naumann states (Vog. Deutschl. viii. p. 370) that it occurs in Guinea and 

 on the Gold Coast, this statement has not been indorsed by later explorers in those regions. It 

 is a resident, however, in the Canaries, Madeira, and the Azores, breeding sparingly in all the 

 islands, usually inhabiting the high wooded ravines. In the Azores, Mr. Godman writes (Ibis, 

 1866, p. 101), "in all the mountain-districts throughout the islands this bird is not uncommon. 

 It breeds, as with us, early in March, as I found young birds in the beginning of April whilst out 

 rabbit-shooting. The native sportsmen (!) shoot them while flying of an evening. It is most, 

 abundant in St. George's, Pico, and Flores, where few people kill them." 



To the eastward the Woodcock is found as far as Japan, and southward in Asia to Ceylon. 



In Persia, Mr. Blanford says (E. Pers. ii. p. 282), it is common in the large gardens, many 

 of which are extensive irrigated orchards and timber-plantations ; but it is only found there in 

 the winter months. It is said to abound in the forests near the Caspian at this season ; but he 

 never heard of any breeding in Persia. To this Major St. John adds that rose-gardens are the 

 favourite haunt of Woodcocks in Persia, and in December 1866 he shot five out of one small 

 garden in Firuzabad. Dr. Severtzoff states that it is somewhat rare on passage in Turkestan ; 

 and Dr. Jerdon (B. of I. ii. p. 670) states, it is " a winter visitant to the more elevated wooded 

 regions of India, the Himalayas, the Neilgherries, the Pulneys, Shervoroys, Coorg, and doubt- 

 less all the higher ranges of Southern India. During its periodical migrations north and south, 

 individuals are occasionally killed in various parts of the country ; several were procured in the 

 Calcutta market by Mr. Blyth. I have heard of its having been at least once obtained in the 

 Madras market ; and various other instances of its having been procured in different parts of the 

 country have come to my knowledge, viz. at Chittagong, Berhampore, Noacolly, Tipperah, Dacca, 

 Masulipatam, &c. The Woodcock is late in arriving, generally not appearing before the middle 

 of October, and usually later ; it leaves in February." It is recorded from Burmah by Lieutenant 

 Beavan, who wrote (Ibis, 1868, p. 391) as follows: — "A specimen was sent me in 1866 by 

 Mr. Davis, of the police, from Burmah, who shot it in the cold weather of 1865 at Thatone, 

 near Moulmein. This is apparently the first record of this species occurring so far to the south 

 as the Tenasserim province of Burmah. I myself saw them appear regularly every evening at 

 Kinchingpoong, in Sikkim, in November 1860, and shot one or two, but could not find where 

 they fell in the darkness. The late Major James Sherwill was with me at the time, and also saw 

 them." Colonel Irby says that he found it " common in Kumaon, resorting to the lower hills 

 and valleys in the cold season. In May I have seen a Woodcock and Monal on the wing at the 

 same time, and suppose that they breed on the high ranges of the Himalayas. In December I 

 imagine that I flushed a Woodcock near Khyreegur, in Oudh, but not being able to get a shot 

 at him, or even mark him down, I cannot be certain that it was one." According to Mr. E. W. H. 

 Holdsworth it is occasionally seen in Ceylon, but is only of rare occurrence there. 



In Siberia it is known as a summer visitant; and Dr. Dybowski states that it breeds in 

 the Baikal Mountains, and remains until September. Von Middendorff met with it in the 

 Stanowoi Mountains nearly to the summit, and observed it passing there between the 2nd May 



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