WOODCOCK, 
171 
variation among the winter rover-shooting. Al- 
though there are now many instances on record of 
the Woodcock breeding in various parts of Great 
Britain, yet it still must be considered as one of 
our winter migrating birds, the great mass visiting 
us in the commencement and towards the end of 
October, and removing again in February. The 
great attention that has been paid to British orni- 
thology, for thirty years past, has made known 
many instances of breeding; for we do not see 
any changes in the country that could have, at a 
later period, increased their frequency ; but, even 
those which have been recorded, are few indeed, 
compared with the number of birds that visit 
us every winter. Some situations appear more 
favourable, or are preferred by the birds to others, 
and there, almost with tolerable certainty, one or 
two pairs may be found, season after season ; but, 
with that exception, there is no indiscriminate 
breeding, as with the snipes, in suitable localities. 
In Eoss-shire, they have now been frequently dis- 
covered breeding.* Near Dunkeld, they are stated 
also to breed, t and this locality must be a favourite 
one of long standing ; for, twenty years since, in 
rambling through the woods in that vicinity, we 
were told by the keepers, that Woodcock nests had 
several times been found. In Fifeshire we have 
heard of instances, and once received the egg in a 
fresh state from that county. In Northumberland 
* Sir F. Mackenzie. + Loudon, Mag. of Nat. Hist. 
