Alabama, ipi 3. 27 



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THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 



1"* HE American Woodcock is the oddest looking land-bird in 

 North America. Its legs are too short for so large a body, its 

 tail is only half as long as it should be, its neck too short and thick, 

 and its head is entirely out of drawing. The eyes are placed too 

 far back, and the bill is too long and too straight. In appearance, 

 the Woodcock looks like an avian caricature. 



But, odd or not, this bird is very dear to the heart of the 

 great American sportsman, and its plump brown body is a genuine 

 delicacy. It has a long array of local names, some of which are 

 so uncouth that the less said concerning them the better. 



The long, sensitive beak of this bird is really a probe and a pair 

 of forceps combined, for probing in soft earth or mud for earth 

 worms, and dragging them out when found. In order to feed, the 

 Woodcock has no option but to frequent the moist banks of wooded 

 streams, or wet grounds in the shelter of bushes or timber, where 

 it can work unobserved. During the day, it lies low to escape 

 observation, and does most of its feeding at night. It is seldom 

 found in open ground, and Woodcock shooting is much like shoot- 

 ing quail among brush — quick and difficult. 



This bird ranges throughout the United States from the At- 

 lantic coast to the edge of the Great Plains. Recently, in this 

 State, near Montgomery, many flocks have been seen, one in par- 

 ticular containing thirty or more of these birds. 



