13° 



SNIPE. 



of evenings, or very mifty weather: in general proceed inland 

 immediately on their arrival ; but fhould the wind be againft 

 them, and the paflfage over difficult, take a day's reft on the 

 fipft land they make, and in this cafe have been met with fo fa- 

 tigued as to be taken by the hand. About the middle of March 

 all tend towards the coafts for their departure; but if the wind 

 be not favourable for their flight, multitudes are collected toge- 

 ther, and the fportfman, availing himfelf of the circumftance, 

 finds plenty of fport. Though Woodcocks in general leave this 

 kingdom, yet a few are known every year to remain : Mr. Pennant 

 mentions that a few breed in Cafe Wood near Tunbridge annually : 

 a brace of them were fhot in Chellenden Wood, by the game- 

 keeper to Horace Mann, efquire, May i, 1769, and another brace 

 the day before; they were fitting on their young. A friend of 

 mine met with & female fitting on the eggs, and the male clofe at 

 hand; fhe was fo tame as to fuffer him to ftroke her without 

 riling ; this was in a wood near Farningbam, Kent : and about 

 three years fince, in the fame wood, a brace of old birds, with 

 five young ones in company, full fledged, were found ; three of the 

 young were taken, and given to a lady in the neighbourhood ; 

 one of them foon died, and is now in my pofleffion : other in- 

 ftances alfo have been noticed by authors. They are ftupid birds, 

 and often taken in nets placed at the openings where they come 

 out of the woods and return to them of evenings, which they do 

 in particular paths ; they are alfo caught in /fringes placed on the 

 ground, or near it, fometimes by the legs, at other times by the 

 neck; for, as thefe birds will not walk over the leaftobftacle which 

 projefts in their way, it is ufual to place a range of ftones, and 

 in the avenues between to fet fpringes, by which means many are 



often 



