46 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



of our bird in N. America are on record, but the 

 Atlantic Ocean is a considerable " obstacle," and 

 accounts for the vast numbers of Woodcocks that 

 congregate in the south-west of Ireland as the 

 extreme limit of their travels, the comparatively 

 mild climate and vast extent of covert and '*soft" 

 places oifering every inducement as a permanent 

 resting-place. 



I have occasionally had a share in a fair day's 

 Woodcock-shooting in Ireland, still more often in 

 N. Devon; in this last-named locality, where, when 

 I used to shoot there, game in the strict sense of the 

 word was comparatively scarce, the pursuit of these 

 uncertain autumn visitors was, to my mind, the very 

 acme of good sport, the coverts being very varied in 

 character, consisting of large woods of oak and other 

 trees, fir-plantations with a dense undergrowth of 

 brambles, furze-brakes, and perhaps prettiest of 

 all, from a Woodcock-shooter's point of view, purling 

 brooks fringed with alders, birch, hazel, holly, and tall 

 bracken, besides one natural covert of considerable 

 extent which combined all possible attraction for the 

 birds, not the least being the almost entire absence 

 of tame Pheasants and Eabbits, for the Woodcock 

 loves to sit and doze through the daylight hours 

 undisturbed, and will never remain for any length of 

 time in woods full of Pheasants. Eabbits I do not 

 consider as so objectionable to Woodcocks, as they do 

 not move about much till about the time when the 

 latter are thinking of going out to dine, but if the 

 birds have been in any particular district for some 

 time, my experience goes to the effect that they will 

 almost invariably be found to prefer the woods that 

 are least frequented by other animals of any kind. 



