WOODCOCK. 127 



evidently pursuing the other. They had come from the higher and more hilly grounds, 

 and when I first observed them, they were at a considerable distance. They approached 

 and crossed in such a manner as to enable me to distinguish that the first was the 

 small dark-coloured Woodcock, the second a very swift-winged bird, which appeared to be 

 the Sparrow-Hawk ; at all events it was a bird of prey, and I feel very little doubt that 

 I am correct in its designation. The distance between the pursued and the pursuer 

 might be about thirty yards; they crossed me at about three times that distance, which 

 afforded a good view of this interesting struggle; the former was flying for life, the 

 latter for a supper. The flight was direct ; there was none of that turning and twisting 

 which may be frequently observed when a small bird, in the presence of its merciless 

 enemv, the Sparrow-Hawk, the Hobby, or the Merlin, endeavours to avoid or procras- 

 tinate its fate by twisting and dodging; on the contrary, the Woodcock continued his 

 course, took the sea, followed by his fierce pursuer, and they both flew completely out 

 of my sight. I kept my eyes in the same direction for some minutes, but I could 

 observe the return of neither the Hawk nor the Woodcock ; whether they were lost in the 

 Channel, or reached the Sister Island, I cannot pretend to decide ; but, as long as I could 

 descry them, the bird of prey did not gain upon his intended victim. 



I observed a Woodcock pursued by a Hawk on another occasion, (in Delamere Forest, 

 Cheshire,) when, after a short space, the latter gave up the chase, and the Woodcock 

 flew completely away. These are incontestible proofs of the extraordinary power and 

 speed of this bird on the wing; and if, indeed, we examine the Woodcock, we shall find 

 that nature has made ample provision for the purpose, in the superior strength of the 

 pinion and feathers." 



The Woodcock is monogamous. 



Woodcocks are sometimes taken by horse-hair snares, which are set in intervals, pur- 

 posely left here and there, in a little hedge, or wall of a few inches high, placed in its 

 feeding-grounds; the bird coining to this hedge, does not attempt to jump over it, but 

 runs along tfll it comes to one of the openings, and in attempting to avail itself of 

 this it is taken in the snare. Nets were also formerly used for the capture of these 

 birds, but are now never used. 



The chief food of these birds is undoubtedly worms, and these are obtained, as we 

 have before remarked, by probing the ground in soft wet places. The old notion that 

 the Woodcocks, as well as the Snipes, lived on "suction," is now quite exploded; though 

 what was intended to be conveyed by the expression, we confess we never quite under- 

 stood; but we suppose it must have referred to some very subtile and immaterial 

 articles of diet. So far, however, from the Woodcock subsisting on such light and airy 

 nothings, it consumes an incredible quantity of substantial, though easily assimilated, 

 food, of Avhich small earthworms form the staple. It also feeds on insects of various 



