64 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
they are more eafily found and deftroyed by the 
mercilefs fportfman. 
The female makes her neft on the ground, ge^ 
nerally at the root or flump of a decayed tree ; it is 
carelefsly formed of a few dried fibres and leaves, 
upon which fhe lays four or five eggs, larger than 
thofe of a Pigeon, of a rufly grey colour, blotched 
and marked with dufky fpots- The young leave 
the nefl as foon as they are freed from the fhell, but 
the parent birds continue to attend and aflift them 
until they can provide for themfelves* BufFon fays 
they fometimes take a weak one under their throat, 
and convey it more than a thoufand paces. 
Latham mentions three varieties of Britifh Wood- 
cocks : in the firfl, the head is of a pale red, body 
white, and the wings brown ; the fecond is of a 
dun, or rather cream colour ; and the third of a 
pure white. * Dr Heyfham, in his Catalogue of 
Cumberland Animals, mentions his having met 
with one, the general colour of which was a fine 
* A white Woodcock was feen three fuccefiive winters in 
Penrice wood, near Penrice-Caftle, in Glamorgan (hire : it was 
repeatedly fluflied and fiiot at during that time, in the very fame 
place where it was firfl; difcovered ; at lafl; it was found dead, 
with feveral others which had perifhed by the feverity of the 
weather, in the winter of 1793. — This account, which was 
communicated to the author by Sir John Trevelyan, Bart, on 
the authority of the Rev. Dr Hunt, proves not only the exifl:-* 
cnce of white Woodcocks, but alfo the truth of the affertion, 
that the haunts of this bird are the fame year after year. 
