234 
On some of the Scolupacidce of Nepal. 
[Aco. 
cold months. We shoot him from November till April, inclusive; and the 
earliest bird seen was on the 1st November ; the latest, on the 3d May. From 
the multitude of small-sized birds killed in November, (11 inches long, and 5 to 7 
oz. heavy,) I conjecture, that the woodcock breeds near to us in the north, just be- 
yond the influence of the rains ; that he remains on the Indian side of the Himalaya, 
except during the rainy and hottest months of the year ; and that during the other 
8 months, by descending and ascending the various steps of the ladder of the 
Himachal, he preserves (as he may, almost without an effort), that moderate tem- 
perature which he loves. The central region, equidistant from the snows, on one 
hand, and the plains on the other, seems to be his favourite abode. But in the 
coldest months of the year he descends to the lesser hills immediately overlooking 
the plains of India, and even to the great forest, at their foot. He has been twice 
found, in December and January, in the midst of the plains of India — once in the 
Doab, and once close to Calcutta* : but these occurrences must have been casual. 
In the great mountains of India — such as the Vind’hya, the Syhadree and the Nilgiri 
— he is almost as common as in these regions. The woodcock moults soon after his 
arrival in Nepal; and again, just before his departure — assuming a fresh garb for 
winter and for summer — the latter, apparently, considerably more brilliant than 
the former. The tints of the plumage are subject to great variation — but the 
general colours, and their disposition, are perfectly uniform. The woodcock inva- 
riably seeks his mate before he quits us, in April : but at other times, lie is seldom 
or never found in her immediate company — being, in his habits, one of the mojt 
solitary birds in existence. He is a bold bird, and seemingly much less shy of the 
neighbourhood of men and houses than is usually supposed. Small and open as 
are the Residency grounds, he frequently alights in them, and stays till killed. One 
bird visited us for four successive years, and remained throughout the season, on 
each occasion; becoming, at last as familiar as any bird with his habits of W'» 
could be. Shaw observes, that the woodcock feeds chiefly by night — proceeding 
regularly, to and from his day-time retreat for that purpose. In Nepal, at least, 
his retreat is ever the same with his feeding ground, and he feeds by day, all day 
and, I fancy, only by day. He is almost always found’ in the rills which intersect 
our woods in every direction, and in which he feeds. He runs freely, but flic s 
heavily, most unwillingly, and for a very short distance, unless much alarnie , 
fwhen he will break cover, and getting into an open space, exert, at least, fur 3 
ew moments, all that great power of wing which he possesses, though most o. 
to use it. But however small the coppice which he has chosen for his abode, 0 
the nonce, hardly any degree of annoyance will induce him to quit it en 
unless there happen to be another cover close at hand ; for which he will, m ^ 
case, make; but not before he has been flushed and shot at, several times, 
experience of 10 years’ duration warrants my affirming, that there is only ° D 
species of woodcock in Nepal, which I believe to be identical with the covarn° 
found 111 
Europe sort : and, as woodcocks and most other Scnlopacidce are 
of the 
abundance here, either as passengers or periodical residents, the absence ^ 
so called lesser cock, induces me to join those who doubt its existence, as a d is ^_ 
species, in Europe. So far as I have observed, the woodcock invariably 
silently — the snipe, on the contrary, almost invariably, piping. ^ 
In respect to the external differences denoting sex in this bird, Shaw says, ^ 
“ the female is smaller, and her colours less brilliant.” I confess myself 1311 
to detect, anatomically, the distinctive signs of sex in the woodcock ; bu ^ 
procured many couples of them, which circumstances demonstrated to be ma 
8 Most likely from the Casia Hills. Ed. 
