THE AMERICAN - WOODCOCK. 
21 
and suck it into its tliroat before it withdraws its bill, as do Curlews and 
God wits. The quickness of their sight on such occasions was put to the 
test by uncovering a cat placed in the corner of the room, at the same height 
above the floor as the surface of the mud which filled the tub, when instantly 
the Woodcock would draw out its bill, jerk up its tail, spread it out, leap 
upon the floor, and run off to the opposite corner. At other times, when 
the cat was placed beneath the level of the bird, by the whole height of the 
tub, which was rather more than a foot, the same result took place ; and I 
concluded that the elevated posi tion of this bird’s eye was probably intended 
to enable it to see its enemies at a considerable distance, and watch their 
approach, while it is in the act of probing, and not to protect that organ from 
the mire, as the Woodcock is always extremely clean, and never shews 
any earth adhering to the feathers about its mouth. 
How comfortable it is when fatigued and covered with mud, your clothes 
drenched with wet, and your stomach aching for food, you arrive at home 
with a bag of Woodcocks, and meet the kind smiles of those you love best, 
and which are a thousand times more delightful to your eye, than the 
savoury flesh of the most delicate of birds can be to your palate. When 
you have shifted your clothes, and know that on the little round table already 
spread, you will ere long see a dish of game, which will both remove your 
hunger and augment the pleasure of your family ; when you are seated in the 
midst ,of the little group, and now see some one neatly arrayed introduce 
the mess, so white, so tender, and so beautifully surrounded by savoury 
juice ; when ajug of sparkling Newark cider stands nigh ; and you, Avithout 
knife or fork, quarter a Woodcock, ah, reader ! — But alas ! I am not in the 
J ersevs just now, in the company of my generous friend Edward Harris ; 
nor am I under the hospitable roof of my equally esteemed friend John 
Bachman. No, reader, I am in Edinburgh, wielding my iron pen, Avithout 
any expectation of Woodcocks for my dinner, either to-day or to-morroAV, 
or indeed for some months to come. 
Scolopax minor, Gmeh Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 661. 
Woodcock, Scolopax minor , Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vi. p. 40. 
Scolopax minor, Bonap. Syn., p. 331. 
Lesser Woodcock, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 194. 
American Woodcock, Scolopax minor , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iiu p. 474. 
Male, 11, 16. Female, lly'V, Vl^. 
Distributed throughout the country. Extremely abundant in the Middle 
and Eastern Districts, as well as in the interior, Avhere it breeds, as far as 
Nova Scotia. Equally abundant in winter in the Southern States, though 
many migrate southward. 
