BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 



525 



iately began our search for the woodcock. We soon found the 

 tracks of a pair where they had been feeding, or trying to find 

 food, around partly frozen water holes. We flushed the birds 

 and began looking the snow-covered ground over carefully for 

 the nest. We found none in that vicinity, but following the 

 back tracks of a single bird, which evidently were made the 

 previous day, we came to the spot, at least a quarter of a mile 

 distant, where the bird had started on its walk to the water holes. 

 On examining the place, nothing but a slight depression was 

 found, appearing somewhat dirtier than the otherwise clean snow. 



We were beginning to think that the bird had taken this 

 place, in a small clump of bushes, as a refuge from the snow- 

 storms, when it was suggested that perhaps after all, the nest 

 might be under the hard frozen snow. This was no sooner sug- 

 gested than we were down on our knees, taking turns at melting 

 the snow with our breath. After a few minutes we were reward- 

 ed by the sight of one egg, and, continuing our efforts, we found 

 a fine set of four eggs, the first lying directly in the middle and 

 on top of the three other eggs, and being separated from them 

 by a layer of at least an inch of snow. From this I take it that 



