COMMON WOODCOCK. 
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coloured, the nape and back part of the neck black 
marked with three rusty-red bars : from the corners 
of the mouth to the eyes a black line extends : orbits 
pale buff: the upper parts of the plumage are elegantly 
spotted, barred, streaked, marbled, and variegated 
with black, white, grey, ash, red, brown, rufous, and 
yellow, disposed in rows crossed and interrupted at 
intervals by lines and marks of various shapes, that 
the description is almost impossible to be given with 
accuracy : the whole of the under parts are yellowish- 
white, closely barred with dark-brown zigzag lines : 
the tail and quills are black, indented with reddish 
spots on the edges ; the tip of the former is ash- 
coloured above and - glossy-white beneath : the legs 
are bluish-grey. The female is rather smaller, and 
her colours are less brilliant : the wing-coverts are 
also more spotted with v/hite. The Woodcock varies 
considerably, being sometimes found of a yellowish- 
white or reddish-yellow colour, the spots on the 
plumage of a pale tinge : also irregularly patched 
with white ; or with the wings and tail of a pure 
white : and sometimes, though very rarely, the entire 
plumage is perfectly white. 
Durins: the summer-time the Woodcock is an in- 
habitant of Norway, Sweden, Lapland, and other 
northern countries, where it generally breeds : as 
soon, however, as the frosts commence, it retires 
southward to milder climates. These birds arrive in 
Great Britain in flocks ; some of them in October, 
but not in great numbers till November and De- 
cember : they generally take advantage of the night, 
being seldorii seen to come before sunset : the time 
