THE MIGRATION OF WOODCOCK. 



165 



is that many of the woodcock which are hatched out in this 

 locality remain there throughout the following winter months. 



The second point is that at any rate a proportion of the wood- 

 cock hatched out in this locality remain in the neighbourhood for 

 several years, and, even if they at some period or other migrate 

 to other places, they return to nest : this is indicated not only by 

 the recovery of several marked birds during the nesting-season, 

 but also by the fact that on more than one occasion a nesting- 

 bird flushed from the nest has been noticed to be a ringed bird. 



The third point is that five woodcock have been recovered in 

 localities situated at various distances south of the breeding- 

 centre, all within a few months of their being hatched out of the 

 egg, and, although the numbers are few, it indicates that some of 

 the birds tend to migrate south in the autumn months. 



A fourth point worthy of notice is that the woodcock appears 

 to show a decided preference for a large-sized pine- wood free from 

 undergrowth, as a nesting-ground, to any other type of covert. 



The fifth point is that on two occasions a number of ringed 

 birds have given a larger average weight than a number of 

 unringecl birds, indicating that the "resident birds " are rather 

 heavier than the winter migrants. 



In conclusion, the data already collected point to their being- 

 three classes of woodcock in this part of the west of Ireland, 

 namely : — 



(i.) Woodcock that are hatched out and remain in this locality, 

 sometimes for years, that is " resident birds." 



(ii.) Woodcock that are hatched out in this locality and then 

 migrate in a southerly direction. 



(iii.) Woodcock that arrive from the north during the winter 

 months. 



These classes are comparable to those into which Eagle Clarke 

 divided the starlings of Shetland. 



Finally, let me point out most emphatically that any success 

 which this experiment may have achieved in elucidating the 

 habits of woodcock is largely due to the care and zeal with which 

 Col. Ashley's keepers, Messrs. Jules, Arthur and Walter Bracken 

 have carried out their work. Their knowledge and powers of 

 observation have furnished many of the points of interest 

 recorded in this paper. 



