THE WOODCOCK. 
241 
that the wliite woodcock, mentioned by Bewick for its remarkable reappearance in 
three successive winters, is still preserved at Penrice Castle” (p. 8). 
Numhers reported to have been Idlled , — Tlie ^ Sporting Beview ^ 
for October 1847, contains an extremely interesting article (dated 
Sweden, December 1846^^) from tlie pen of a distinguished 
sportsman, Mr. Lloyd, entitled ^Woodcock and Snipe Shooting^ 
(p. 249-260). The author descants on the sport to be had in 
various parts of Europe, and gives his experience in Ireland very 
fully. I shall extract what is said of numbers killed. 
“ A field-officer of the Tipperary militia, with whom I was in company many years 
ago, told me that he himself was present when fifty couple were bagged by an 
acquaintance in a single day ! It was for a considerable wager ; the individual per- 
forming the feat being unlimited as to the number of guns, &c. I forget the name 
of the cover, but it was one of the best in Ireland, and of coiu’se strictly preserved. 
Again, the late Lord Glentworth assured me that, in 1 842, Mr. Matthew Barrington 
and his party, probably consisting of five or six guns, bagged in one day, on Lord 
Limerick’s property, Dromore Wood, seventy-two couple. Though in former years, 
from 1814 to 1822, I have occasionally shot in various parts of Ireland, I never had 
any extraordiuary success with cocks ; but this was attributable to my not happening 
to shoot in good covers when the frost was severe and the snow deep on the ground. 
At such times, by the concurrent testimony of every one, many of the woods in that 
country are literally alive with those birds. Nevertheless, I have frequently met 
with excellent diversion. One day I bagged fifteen couple ; another day, twelve ; and 
on many different occasions from ten to eleven couple. During the several excur- 
sions made to that country I shot hard upon 700 couple. * * * Should a man 
be fortunate enough to get access to a succession of first-rate covers, he might, I 
have little doubt, readily kill 500 couple to his own gun in a single season. But to 
obtain this privilege is a matter of great difficulty. * * * At Mncruss, Killar- 
nCy, one day, Mr. Chichester Oxenden killed, with a single barrel, twenty-two and 
a half couple ; but this gentleman is a very first-rate shot, particularly at cocks. 
“ The system of battues, as with us, is now very general ; but these seldom take 
place until about Christmas, by which time the severity of the weather usually drives 
the cocks from the mountains into cover. The show is then often immense, and the 
slaughter proportionally great. Individuals have assured me that on these occasions 
they have seen from 200 to 300 couple on the wing in the course of the day, and 
there is no reason to doubt the statement. For my own part, however, I do not 
think I ever flushed more than from twenty-five to thirty couple ; but then I usually 
shot in a quiet way, and alone. 
‘'Taken altogether, my best season in Ireland was 1820. I commenced on the 
5th December, and finished towards the end of March. Generally speaking, the 
weather was mild and very rainy, and of course unfavourable for woodcocks.” [The 
number of aU kinds of birds, &c., killed is given ; but it is very small in every 
VOL. II. B 
