BIRDS 369 



a younger bird, shot near Silloth a few days later. No 

 specimens have ever been obtained on our coast in the 

 red dress of the nuptial season, nor is any plumage of tolerably 

 frequent occurrence except the intermediate plumage. The sole 

 specimen that I have seen in entire first dress was shot some 

 few years ago at Allonby, and belongs to Mr. R. Mann. We 

 were indebted to this gentleman for another of the few local 

 specimens that exist in full winter dress. This bird was shot 

 near Silloth in February 1887. 



WOODCOCK. 



Scolopax rusticula, L. 



Our earliest records refer to the first portion of the seventeenth 

 century, when the Woodcock was chiefly valued as an article 

 of food. Lord William Howard, for example, required a large 

 quantity of Woodcock for the consumption of his household at 

 Naworth, and as the supply of birds was obtained from those 

 who made a practice of snaring them, the entries in the house- 

 hold accounts throw some light upon the immigration of 

 Woodcock from the Continent. Thus, in the year 1618, we 

 find that the first three Woodcock were purchased in, between 

 September 26 and October 3. October, from the 4th day of 

 the month, yielded 57 Woodcock, 6 birds being obtained 

 during the first week, 22 birds in the second week, 13 in the 

 third week, and 16 in the fourth week. In the first week of 

 November 45 birds were bought in; in the second week, 10 

 birds; in the third week, 25 ; in the fourth week, 10— making 

 a total bag for November of 90 Woodcock. The number fell 

 greatly in December, most of the migrants having no doubt 

 passed on. The first week of that month yielded 15 Wood- 

 cock ; none were taken in the second week, and only 4 in the 

 third week ; 1 3 were obtained in the last week, bringing up the 

 bag for the month to 32, 13 of this number being killed in 

 Christmas week. In the first week of January, 1619, 8 birds 

 were killed ; 3 in the second week ; 8 in the third week ; and 

 6 in the fourth week, so that the bag for January amounted to 

 25 birds. Seven birds were killed in the first week of 



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