BIRDS OF DUMFEIESSHIRE 387 
though the males weigh lighter as a rule and are smaller 
tnan the females. 
Howard Saunders writes that " partial albinisms are not 
uncommon '* ; and as long ago as 1824 it was recorded that 
the gamekeeper to C. G. S. Menteath, of Closeburn Hall, killed 
two Woodcock, each of which had six white feathers in each 
wing.t A pale, or as it was reported to me, " a pigeon-grey 
coloured Woodcock," was seen at Capenoch in the last week 
of October, 1908, but most unfortunately was not obtained 
In olden days this species was frequently snared if not 
^onr' neighbouring counties.} On July 27th, 
1905 a Woodcock was found at Capenoch caught in a snare 
set for rabbits, and it is difficult to conjecture how the 
bird could have been caught in this manner. Another 
curious mstance of the capture of a Woodcock came under 
iny notice on November 21st, 1907; the bird had run forward 
at the end of a beat, poked its head through the mesh of 
some rabbit-netting, and was caught by a beater. 
To kill two Woodcock at one shot is the rarest of rare 
events and I therefore cannot resist quoting the following 
though the incident recorded occurred in Kirkcud- 
brightshire : "On Tuesday last " (November 18th, 1851) 
Mr^Garlies C. Maitland, Kells Manse, when shooting on 
the Kenmuir estate flushed a brace of Woodcock which he 
brought down with one shot. An unfortunate Blackbird 
which had flown within range at the time also fell a victim 
to the same discharge. "§ 
THE GREAT SNIPE. GalUru^o major (J. F. Gmelin). 
Only one authentic record. 
!f • 1^* ^' '^"^^^ • " I ^ l^rg^ snipe near 
the lake at Eliock which I took to the late Mr. Veitch a& 
* Man. Brit. Birds, 1899, p. 570. 
t Dumfries Courier, February 24th, 1824. 
% Fauna of Lakeland, 1892, p. 371. 
§ Dumfries Courier, November 25th, 1851. 
BB 2 
