FROM 
t dh(S „ / // 
HABITS OF THE WOODCOCK. 
JtfcDITOR U 'OREST AND STREAM : 
Seeing in your issue of Jan. 23 a question as to the habits of wood- 
cock, lam prompted by a desire to repay, in a small part, the many pleas- 
ant hours I have spent in the perusal of the entertaining and ins tructive 
articles always to be found in Foebst and SraEAM.to give you a little of 
the result of my own observations on the habits of that king of all game 
birds. Residing in thenorthern part of Pennsylvania, and in a locality 
in which, until recently, the woodcock and ruffed grouse were the only 
game birds we had, has led me to watch closely their habits. I have 
stood for hours in the spring of the year, from early twiiight until late in 
the night, listening to the hollow, ringing “Zisb, zisb,” of the woodcock 
which he repeats at intervals of about twenty seconds for four or live 
minutes ; tip for a moment all will be still. Next Is heard the sharp 
whirr of his Wings as he takes flight, swinging around and upward in a 
spiral, rising, as they tell us the English lark does, high in the air until 
the sound of his wings Is almost lost. When the bird begins to descend 
the sound of the wings is wholly changed, seeming almost like the 
twittering song of the canary bird, until the bird reaches to within 
about one hundred feet of the place from which he started, when he 
sets his wings like a parachute, and drops silently and swiftly to the 
ground, to repeat the performance again and again. I have lain on the 
ground in moonlight nights, and watched him come out of his cover 
strutting about much as an old gobbler does at times, and utterimr his 
peculiar cry, which would be answered by other birds in hearing 
Whether both sexes participate in the dance I am unable to sav never 
having shot one of them during the performance. I have shot wood- 
cock at all times of the day, from earliest daylight until it was too dark 
to see the barrels of a gun, and have found fresh worms between their 
bills, which they had not had time to swallow; and I have seen them 
boring and feeding at all hours of the night. I think the bird si!! 
and feeds alternately, at short intervals, during the entire twentv-fonr 
hours, except, perhaps, during the moulting season, when thev feed 
during the night. Onr best month for woodcock shooting is July for 
then the old birds and full-grown young ones are in the rover LZ 
the streams and bottom lands. In August you can hardly 
there, although you will And fresh boring every morning Thor 
then away on the steep side hills and mountains, moulting „ 
less than usual, coming down to the feeding-grounds only in the oil? 
and returning before daylight to their mountain fastnesses ? ’ 
tember they begin to work in the cornfields wherever there! To P ' 
soft soil, and remain in the cover of the corn during the dav Vh 
is grand sport to get into the corn, with a stool tall enough to raise ! 
above the corn tops and a merry little cocker flying about to 
birds, and bang away at them. What if your gun does kick you off he 
stool occasionally; there is soft ground to fall on-“ UD and 1 
again.” As soon as hard frost comes the birds start for a more Mm! 
climate; and I have noticed that, with us, they follow the 
toward the coast, stopping occasionally to feed, which they do in 
soft ground close to the water's edge, rarely going lore than a 
feet from the stream; and upon looking along in these nine!! 
be surprised at the great amount of boring, compared wfth the “ 
Of birds, which he will find. An incident cameTnderMy ^ 
which illustrates the rapidity of their flight : I was standing on 
elevation overlooking a cornfield ou the bottom land, and was watchfn ‘ 
the manoeuvres of a chicken hawk which was sailing abont ! !! 
circles. Suddenly he poised himself for an imtant, then darted 
perpendicularly into the corn. About the time he reached the r ^ 
the corn, I heard the whirr of a woodcock, and saw him emerve fr!! 
the corn with the hawk in close pursuit. Away he darted ! to ' 
time seeming to look back to see if his adversary was coMnir r IT 
saw he was in no danger, for he could handicap that hawk one rod F 
ten, and then beat him. After flying fifty or sixty rods he darted into 
a dense cover, and the hawk gave up the chase in disgust several r!! 
behind. I hope to learn still further of the habits and custanMf 
Philohela minor, ■ 01 
______ Ortyx V. 
