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i 89 1 . Mass . 
Apr.il 13. Lexington-* — - and convulsive, indicating consider- 
able muse ul ar“”eTi'o"r t on the part of the bird. There was per- 
haps also a slight twitching of the tail, but this member was 
not perceptibly raised or expanded. The return of the sever- 
al parts to their respective normal positions was quite as sud- 
den as the initial movements. The forward '^recovery'’’ of the 
head was well marked. The opening and shutting of the bill 
strongly suggested that of a pair of tongs. During the emis- 
sion of the paap the throat swelled and it’s plumage was ruffed 
but neither effect was more marked than with any of our small 
birds while in the act of singing. 
The pt-ul note when closely followed by the paap, as 
was usually the case, was not accompanied by any of - the" move- 
ments just described, but when, as occasionally happened, the 
bird repeated it several times withoiit peeping ,he moved his 
head and bill just as when peeping, but to a much less degree. 
After a minute or two the Woodcock suddenly turned, and,, 
without changing his ground, took a position directly facing 
me. Viewed from in front the motions just described produced 
a somewhat different impression. The backward toss of the 
head was no longer apparent, while the lengthening and short- 
ening of the neck became more conspicuous. In fact the head 
now seemed to be bobbed up and down, much in the manner of an 
Owl's. The movement of the wings was more strongly marked, 
and its character and extent could be definitely traced. The 
wings were not spread or opened, but merely jrked out from the 
body spasmodically. The shoulders showed distinctly for an in- 
stant, but the primaries were at all times covered by the long- 
overlapping feathers of the flanks and sides. These loose 
feathers moved out and in with the wings, giving the body the 
appearance of being laterally inflated and then contracted. 
The mouth opened to such an extent that I could look directly 
down the bird's throat , which appeared large enough to admit 
the end of my forefinger. The lateral distention of the mouth 
was especially striking. 
Wilson Flagg says( Birds and Seasons in New England, 
p,333) that the Woodcock while peeping "may be seen strutting 
about like a Turkey-cock, with fantastic jerkings of the 
tail and a frequent turning of the head." Neither Faxon nor 
I have ever seen anything of the kind. Of the contrary, one 
of the most marked features of the performance is the fact 
that the bird, when not in the act of uttering the sound, 
stands perfectly still, and always in about the same attitude. 
22 . 
