252 
SCOLOPACID^. 
without, going out of his way to look after them ; they fly very much 
about his cottage, situated in a beautiful open glade, and from near 
its door may be seen on wing every evening. I obtained all the pre- 
ceding information when at Tollymore Park in x^ugust 1836, and 
June 1838. On the 28th of the latter month I visited the park in the 
hope of seeing some of these birds; but the evening was so fine and 
light that they did not commence flying until very late, and then dark- 
ness suddenly came on. At half-past nine o’clock the first were heard, 
when a pair swept past within about thirty yards, uttering the two suc- 
cessive calls, as above described. Prom this time, until half an hour 
had elapsed — when it was in vain to attempt seeing them — several 
single birds were heard : they gave utterance only to the other call, 
stated to resemble in sound the word liisp quickly uttered, 
1843. — Since 1838, the number of woodcocks remaining to breed in 
Tollymore Park has been on the increase. In 1842, nine nests were 
observed, and in 1843 twenty-two! In the latter year, a brood of 
young birds was seen on the first of August, within thirty paces of the 
gamekeeper’s cottage ; three of them flew off when approached, but 
the fourth remained and was captured. Its plumage was complete 
except on the neck, where down appeared. When once “ coming on ” a 
brood of these birds, the keeper was made aware of their presence by the 
parent rising within about four feet of him with what he considered to 
be a young one in its claw, with which it flew about twenty yards into 
the wood. On alighting, sueh an outcry was kept up that he felt sure 
more young birds must be near. Por some time he could not perceive 
them, they so much resembled the colour of the ground ; but at length 
three were espied, within five feet of where he stood. When he first saw 
them, they squatted elose to the ground with their bills resting on it ; 
but the moment his eye was fixed on them, they rose to their feet, threw 
up their wings in the grotesque manner of an owl, and inclined their 
bodies awkwardly, first to one side and then to the other. He lifted 
one, examined its plumage, and set it down with the others, then 
walked away to a short distance, when they all rose and flew off, quite 
strong on the wing. The gamekeeper has particularly remarked that 
young woodcocks lie squatted on the ground until his eye rested full 
upon them, which invariably acted as a signal for them to get on 
their feet.” 
So early as the 8th of Mareh, 1845, the keeper remarked in a letter 
