560 



WOODCOCK. 



This well-known species needs little description. The length is 

 fifteen inches ; weight from twelve to fifteen ounces. The bill is about 

 three inches long, furrowed along the side of the upper mandible ; fore- 

 head cinereous ; the rest of the upper parts of the bird is a mixture of 

 ferruginous, black, and grey, disposed in bars ; the under parts are yel- 

 lowish white, with dusky streaks ; the tail consists of twelve feathers, 

 black on the inner web, the outer bordered with rufous ; tips above 

 cinereous ; beneath white. This bird is subject to great variety ; some 

 are very dark-coloured and small ; others are large, and the plumage 

 much more rufous. These have been thought two different sexes, but 

 without foundation. By dissecting many, we found that the female is 

 generally largest, and commonly partakes more of the ferruginous than 

 the male. 



The Woodcock appears first in the beginning of October, some few 

 the latter end of September, but never in quantity till the middle of 

 November. They generally come to us with northerly or easterly 

 winds, when the more northern countries become frozen; and if the 

 frost in those countries where they breed, is suddenly severe, large 

 flights are sometimes met with on our coasts, where they remain for 

 one day to recruit their strength, and then disperse. With us it is not 

 nearly so plentiful as formerly ; a great many, however, are yet to be 

 found in the more uncultivated parts of Devonshire, Cornwall, and 

 Wales, as well as in the north of Scotland ; but no where so plentiful 

 as in the large tracts of woods in Ireland. In severe weather they accu- 

 mulate from the moors and inland counties to the woods in the west of 

 England. It is amongst the few winter birds that occasionally breed 

 with us, many instances of which are recorded. The young birds have 

 been killed in August, and eggs taken in June, both of which we can 

 speak of from our own knowledge. In the year 1795, we were favoured 

 with two eggs from the Rev. Mr. Wheatear, of Hastings, who informed 

 us they were found in a wood near Battle, in Sussex, and that there 

 were four in the nest : in 1802, Mr. Foljambe had a specimen of a 

 half-fledged bird, taken in Broadsworth-wood, near Doncaster; and in 

 1805, a brood of four were hatched in a wood at Shucoaks, near Work- 

 sop. The nest from which these were taken, consisted of moss, bent, and 

 dry leaves. The eggs are generally four, larger than those of a pigeon, 

 of a yellowish white, spotted and blotched with rufous brown and ash- 

 colour, most so at the larger end. The food of this bird is insects and 

 worms, for which it bores with its bill into moist places, feeding prin- 

 cipally at night. They quit the woods in the dusk of the evening, and 

 then only make a noise, something- like the snipe, but not so shrill. At 

 this time numbers were formerly caught in nets placed across the glade 



