THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 19 



weeks old, it requires nearly as much skill to shoot them on wing as if they 

 were much older. At this age they are called stupid by most people; and, 

 in fact, being themselves innocent, and not yet having had much experience, 

 they are not sufficiently aware of the danger that may threaten them, when 

 a two-legged monster, armed with a gun, makes his appearance. But, reader, 

 observe an old cock on such occasions: there he lies, snugly squatted beneath 

 the broad leaves of that "sconk cabbage" or dock. I see its large dark eye 

 meeting my glance; the bird shrinks as it were within its usual size, and, in 

 a crouching attitude, it shifts with short steps to the other side. The nose 

 of the faithful pointer marks the spot, but unless you are well acquainted 

 with the ways of Woodcocks, it has every chance of escaping from you both, 

 for at this moment it runs off through the grass, reaches a clump of bushes, 

 crosses it, and, taking to wing from a place toward which neither you nor 

 your dog have been looking, you become flustered, take a bad aim, and lose 

 your shot. 



Thousands of persons besides you and myself are fond of Woodcock shoot- 

 ing. It is a healthful but at times laborious sport. You well know the 

 places where the birds are to be found under any circumstances; you are 

 aware that, if the weather has been for some time dry, you must resort to 

 the damp meadows that border the Schuylkill, or some similar place; that 

 should it be sultry, the covered swamps are the spots which you ought to 

 visit; but if it be still lowering after continued rain, the southern sides of 

 gentle hills will be found preferable; that if the ground is covered with 

 snow, the oozy places visited by the Snipe are as much resorted to by the 

 Woodcook; that after long frost, the covered thickets along some meandering 

 stream are the places of their retreat; and you are aware that, at all times, it 

 is better for you to have a dog of any kind than to go without a dog at all. 

 Well, you have started a bird, which with easy flaps flies before you in such 

 s^vay that if you miss it, your companion certainly will not. Should he, 

 however, prove as unsuccessful as yourself, you may put up the bird once, 

 twice, or thrice in succession, for it will either alight in some clump of low 

 trees close by, or plunge into a boggy part of the marsh. As you advance 

 towards him, you may chance to put up half a score more, and stupid though 

 you should be, you must be a bad shot indeed if you do not bring some one 

 of them to the ground. Aye, you have done it, and are improving at the 

 sport, and you may be assured that the killing of Woodcocks requires more 

 practice than almost any other kind of shooting. The young sportsman 

 shoots too quick, or does not shoot at all, in both which cases the game is 

 much better pleased than you are yourself. But when once you have 

 acquired the necessary coolness and dexterity, you may fire, charge and fire 



