[ ms 3 



An Englifhman does not confider, on the other hand, perhaps, 

 twelve kinds of birds worthy his attention, or expence of powder, 

 none of which are ever fhot in our woods during the fummer, 

 nor are birds then difturbed by felling either coppice or timber. 



But it will be faid, why are not woodcocks fometimes feen, 

 however, as they may be fuppofed to leave their cover in fearch of 

 food ? 



To this I anfwer, that woodcocks fleep in the day-time, 

 whilft with us in the winter, and feed during the night* 5 .. 

 Whenever a woodcock, therefore, is flumed, he is roufed from 

 his fleep by the fpaniel or fportfman, and then takes wing, 

 becaufe there are no leaves on the trees to conceal the bird. 1 



Whoever hath looked attentively at a woodcock's eye, muft fee 

 that, from the appearance of it, the fight muft be more calculated 

 to diftinguifh objects by night than by day 1 . 



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 ftrike 

 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 



k Almofl all the wild fowl of the duck kind alfo fleep in the day-time . 

 and feed at night. Virgil therefore is miftaken when he fuppofes that 

 aquatic birds fleep at the fame time with thofe of the land : 



■ pictseque volucres 



Quasque lacus late liquidos, qujeque afpera dumis 

 Rura tenenty .fomno po/ita fub nocte filenti 

 Lenibant curas, &c. 

 1 I conceive alfo, it is from the eye's looking fo dull that this bird h 

 generally confidered as being fo foolifh : hence the Africans call the 

 woodcock hammar el badge I, or the partridge's afs. Shaw's Phyf Obf. 

 oh, ii, 



is 



