148 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



How taken Description. 



The inhabitants o, the North of Europe, to 

 whose forests the woodcocks retire in the sum- 

 mer, never eat them ; esteeming their flesh un- 

 wholesome, from the circumstance of their having 

 no crops. 



In Lancashire, great numbers of woodcocks are 

 taken in traps in moonlight nights. Long parallel 

 rows of stones and slicks, about four or five inches, 

 are made on the commons which they frequent. 

 In these rows several intervals or gateways are 

 left, in which the traps are placed. When the 

 bird, running about in search of food, comes to 

 one of these rows, he will not cross it, but runs 

 along the side tiil he comes to a gateway ; which 

 he enters, and is then taken. 



THE GOD WIT 



IS about sixteen inches in length, and weighs 

 from ten to twelve ounces; its bill is near as long 

 as that of the woodcock, of a palish red towards 

 the base, and black at the point, the upper man- 

 dible something longer than the lower, the tongue 

 is sharp, the ears open, and large. 



The feathers upon the head are of a light 

 brown or reddish colour, with their middle parts 

 black, but about the eyes of a more pale or yel- 

 lowish tincture; the neck and breast are pretty 

 much of the same colour with the head, only in- 

 terspersed with transversed black lines, edged with 

 a pale yellow. 



