18 
THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 
ferent from the cry of that bird, and somewhat resembling the word Icwauk. 
are performed every evening and morning for nearly a fortnight. While on 
the ground, at this season, as well as in autumn, the male not unfrequently 
repeats this sound, as if he were calling to others in his neighbourhood, and 
on hearing it answered, immediately flies to meet the other bird, which in 
the same manner advances toward him. On observing the Woodcock while 
in the act of emitting these notes, you would imagine he exerted himself to 
the utmost to produce them, its head and bill being inclined towards the 
ground, and a strong forward movement of the body taking place at the 
moment the kwauk reaches your ear. This over, the bird jerks its half- 
spread tail, then erects itself, and stands as if listening for a few moments, 
when, if the cry is not answered, it repeats it. I feel pretty confident that, 
in spring, the female, attracted by these sounds, flies to the male ; for on 
several occasions I observed the bird that had uttered the call immediately 
caress the one that had just arrived, and which I knew from its greater size 
to be a female. I am not, however, quite certain that this is always the case, 
for on other occasions I have seen a male fly off and alight near another, 
when they would immediately begin to fight, tugging at and pushing each 
other with their bills, in the most curious manner imaginable. 
The nest, which is formed of dried leaves and grass, without much appa- 
rent care, is usually placed in some secluded part of the woods, at the foot of 
some bush, or by the side of a fallen trunk. In one instance, near Camden, 
in New Jersey, I found one in a small swamp, on the upper part of a log, 
the lower portion of which was covered with water, to the height of several 
inches. The eggs, which are laid from February to the first of June, accord- 
ing to the latitude of the place selected, are usually four, although I have not 
very unfrequently found five in a nest. They average one inch and five and 
a half eighths in length, by one inch and an eighth in breadth, are smooth, 
of a dull yellowish clay colour, varying in depth, and irregularly but pretty 
thickly marked with patches of dark brown, and others of a purple tint. 
The young run about as soon as they emerge from the shell. To my 
astonishment, I once met with three of them on the border of a sand-bar on 
the Ohio, without their parent, and to all appearance not more than half a 
day old. I concealed myself near them for about half an hour, during which 
time the little things continued to totter about the edge of the water, as if 
their mother had gone that way. During the time I remained I did not see 
the old bird, and what became of them I know not. The young birds are 
at first covered with down of a dull yellowish-brown colour, then become 
streaked with deeper umber tints, and gradually acquire the colours of the 
old. At the age of from three to four weeks, although not fully fledged, 
they are able to fly and escape from their enemies, and when they are six 
