98 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 
these birds always give warning by a whistling noise with 
their wings, and seldom rise higher than a man’s head, skim- 
ming over the ground with a slow and steady flight, to but 
a short distance, when they settle again in the grass — but 
their character is entirely changed, when the shooting 
is confined to bushes and thickets, as it then constitutes 
one of the most difficult feats to kill them, their course 
being very indirect and unsteady, and differing altogether 
from the flight of other game, springing rapidly from the 
ground, and rising perpendicularly, until they clear the tops 
of the trees or bushes, when their flight becomes more steady, 
but out of reach, and it requires much experience and judg- 
ment to embrace the proper moment to shoot before they 
make the twistings and turnings, in order to pass between 
the trees, for this most generally disconcerts every one 
who is not an expert shot. 
To follow W oodcocks successfuly, two persons should al- 
ways hunt together, so that, when the birds are sprung, they 
will be the better able to mark the spot where they settle 
again; as success depends, in a great measure, on marking 
them properly, it is advisable for one to walk in the centre 
of the thicket, while the other keeps outside, as in narrow 
swamps, the birds will universally dart out of some open- 
ing, and fly along the edge, until they determine to settle 
again, and the chances of killing are twofold in favour of 
the one outside, besides the opportunities of marking. 
In Europe every sport has its particular description of 
dogs, to which their use is solely applied : thus, there is the 
stag-hound, and the fox-hound — for hunting hares the grey- 
hound — for the different vermin, the beagle, harrier and ter- 
rier— for grouse, the pointer; for partridges and pheasant, 
the setter, and for Woodcock the springer, or cocking 
spaniel. In this country, our sportsmen, for shooting pur- 
poses, confine themselves to the pointer and setter dogs, 
and are mostly guided in their choice by taste, rather than 
judgment, and use them indiscriminately for grouse, phea- 
sant, partridge, woodcock and snipe. The Springer is but 
little known here, and is, in fact, the only proper dog to 
hunt Woodcocks, as it never points, but is most assiduous 
in pursuit, and on the instant of springing the bird, gives 
warning to its master: but, in the absence of this dog, 
the setter is undoubtedly preferable to the pointer; the na- 
ture of the ground to be hunted over is more suited to his 
disposition and habits, and being less mindful also of 
briars and thickets, will not only perform more to the satis- 
faction of his master, but withstand greater fatigue than 
the pointer. 
The double gun should always be used after this des- 
cription of game, as the fault of shooting too soon occurs 
more frequently in cripples, than on any other ground, 
and success is threefold more in favour of the second dis- 
charge than the first fire, as the bird, by this period, has 
only gained the proper killing distance. Very small shot, 
say No. 9, is sufficiently large to kill them, there being no 
American bird of the same magnitude which possesses so 
frail a skin, and is_more easily penetrated. 
After shooting at a bird, in case its flight continues, the 
course, and spot in which it settles, should be particularly 
marked; as it frequently happens they will fly to a much 
greater distance with a mortal wound, than otherwise, and 
many birds are lost to the sportsman, from his neglect in 
this point. 
Persons frequently return from Woodcock shooting un- 
successful, in consequence of not hunting the ground well; 
too much care cannot, therefore, be employed in beating a 
thicket, and very slow progress should always be made 
through high grass, as the tenacity of these birds to their 
places of repose will subject them to be almost trodden 
upon without taking wing, and it will be well for the 
sportsman to halt every few yards, as this will tend to flush 
them, when constant motion would keep them quiet. 
In October and November, the Woodcocks forsake their 
usual feeding-ground, and are to be found in tall, swampy 
woods, small streams, overgrown with bushes, and newly 
cleared land; their favourite food consists of insects, larva 
of insects, and earth-worms; therefore, when the approach- 
ing cold weather drives the latter deep into the ground, 
they then resort to woods and bush-land, where, beneath 
the leaves, they glean a subsistence on insects. This is the 
only proper season to shoot them; they are then fat, and 
much larger than in July, and generally free from vermin. 
In June, they are to be met with in almost every 
swampy meadow; but their number is generally confined 
to from two to six; as, however, the season advances, and 
the young birds mature, the drought drives them to those 
wet feeding-grounds before mentioned, into which they 
sometimes concentrate in great numbers. These places 
are then resorted to by sportsmen, who frequently make 
most incredible havoc and waste of life among them, some 
times killing such quantities, that before night approaches 
those birds killed in the morning are putrified. This un- 
necessary destruction of life should be avoided; it adds 
nothing to the sportsman’s character as a good shot, and 
most certainly detracts from his feelings of humanity; 
that number should suffice which may be conveniently 
kept, and rendered suitable for the table. 
The Woodcock is considered a nocturnal bird, and does 
all its feeding and migratory flights during this season; in- 
deed, its sight is very imperfect in the day time, and the 
.construction of the eye evidently unfits it for the glare of 
day: hence the reason why it selects, in low bushes and 
long grass, those sombre retreats from which it never vol- 
