[ 3 l ° ] 



flight muil be more calculated to diiVmguilli objects 



■ by night than- by day'*. 



The fact therefore is notorious to thofe who cut 

 glades in their woods, and fix nets for catching; thefe 

 birds, that they never ftir but as it begins to be dark, 

 after which they return again by day-break, when 

 their fight even then is fo indifferent, that they flrike 

 againft the net, and thus become entangled. 



No one with us ever thinks of fixing or attending 

 fuch nets in fummer for woodcocks, becaufe it is 

 not then fuppofed that there is any fuch bird in the 

 ifland j if they tried this experiment, Jlowever, I 

 muft own that I believe they would have fport -f-. 



Mr. Reinhold Forfter, F. R. S. who is an able 

 naturalift, informs me, that the fowlers in the neigh* 

 bourhood of Dantzick kill many woodcocks about St» 

 John's day (or Midfummer), in the following man- 



* I conceive alfo, it is from the eyes looking fo dull, that 

 this bird is generally confidered as being fo foolifh : hence the; 

 Africans call the .voodcock hammar el badge!, or the parti idge's 

 afs. Shaw's Phyf. Obf. ch, ii. 



f I would afk thofe who will probably laugh at the very idea 

 of fuch fport (which I do not, however, abfolutely infure), whe- 

 ther, if I was to fend them to any part of the Britifh coaft to 

 catch the true anchovy, or tunny fifh, they would not fuppofe 

 equally that it was a fool's errand. 



Notwithftanding, however, thjs incredulity, I can produce 

 the authority of both Ray (Syn. Pifc. p. 107,) and Mr. Pen- 

 nant (Brit. Zool. ill. p. 34. 36.), that the true anchovy is caught 

 in the fea not far from Chefter, and the tunny fifh on the coaft 

 of Argylefhire, together with the herrings, where they are called 

 n:ackrel /hire. 



Is it not amazing, however, that a fifh of fuch a fize as the 

 tunny fhould never have been heard of, even by the Scotch na- 

 turalift Sir -Robert Sibbald ? 



ner, 



