WOODCOCK. 
173 
long heath ; at times, in these localities, they are 
extremely shy, while at others, as if fatigued with 
their flight, they can scarcely be raised, and fre- 
quently, when fallen in with in such a state, are 
killed in numbers. They soon, however, leave these 
districts, and do it simultaneously, scarcely a bird 
being to he found in the morning where the day pre- 
vious they had been abundant. Their most favourite 
haunts, rvhen settled, as it were, for the winter, are 
woods of some extent, where there is cover that can 
be run through beneath, and where shelter is afforded 
by spreading low-branched spruce trees, hollies, or 
other large evergreens. There they rest by day, only 
at times feeding, or turning over the dried leaves, 
and at twilight regain activity, resorting to the open 
glades, or marshy bottoms, or sheltered outskirts, 
and then, for a time, feed in earnest. Their food 
seems to he aquatic insects or larva;, which they 
procure by thrusting their bills into the soft mud, or 
“ boring,” as in sporting language it is termed ; in 
this process a quantity of sand is also taken, for the 
stomach is almost always filled with it, in addition 
to any remains of insects that can be seen. In the 
woods, they also seem to turn over the dead leaves in 
search of what may be beneath ; and, in hard frost, 
this bird, from these peculiarities, is one that suffers 
most severely. The number of Woodcocks which 
visit us vary much from year to year, and without 
apparent cause. Whatever that may he, it should 
be sought for in their summer land, not in that 
which receives them in winter. Ireland seems to 
