38 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



the cover some little distance from the ride, I sprung 

 two old birds and three young ones, the young being 

 half-grown ; I did not see a nest. I am quite sure 

 as to the month and the year in which I saw them." 

 The above are the only instances of Woodcocks 

 breeding with us of which I possess any details, but 

 I know that young Woodcocks were found in my 

 boyhood by one of our gamekeepers in Lilford 

 Wood, and I have a distinct recollection of having 

 heard stories to the same effect with regard to Bear- 

 shank Wood and Brigstock Forest. From the 

 testimony of many most competent observers and 

 authors it seems that a very much larger number of 

 Woodcocks breed in the British Islands at present 

 than was the case fifty years ago, and I imagine that 

 there are very few counties of England, Wales, 

 Scotland, and Ireland that cannot now claim young 

 Woodcocks amongst their " natural productions." 



This bird is a very early breeder, often laying in 

 the second or third week of March, generally before 

 the end of that month ; the time of incubation has 

 not, it seems, been positively recorded, but from 

 analogy should last from eighteen to twenty days. 

 The nest is, as a rule, nothing more than a depression 

 in the ground lined with dead leaves and occasionally 

 a little dry moss, often, but not invariably, well 

 sheltered above, but with open ground for some 

 distance around it. The fall complement of eggs is 

 four ; they are very large for the size of the bird, are 

 not so pointed at the small end as those of most of 

 the other species of the family Scolo])acid(je, and in 

 colour bear a certain resemblance to those of the 

 Land-Rail, being of a creamy white with markings 

 of ash-grey and pale rusty brown. 



