A Fern-eating Woodcock. — One of the most singular departures of 
birds from their ordinary food-habits that I have ever observed is the fol- 
lowing : In examining the digestive organs of more than one hundred 
Woodcocks, I think I have never found in them anything but the common 
earth-worm, either entire or in various stages of digestion, excepting in 
one or two instances, a leech ( Hirudo medicinalis). 
The Woodcock in question was brought to me to be mounted by Mr. 
W. C. Alvord, of Washington, D. C., who shot it while Woodcock shoot- 
ing at Martha’s Vineyard. This bird was one of several killed on the 17th 
of October, 1885. When skinning it my attention was called to its very 
singularly distended crop. Upon making a cut into the membrane with 
a pair of scissors, out rolled, or rather jumped, the contents, which being 
released from confinement increased to three times its former size. At 
the same moment I was astonished to observe the character of the con- 
tents, which proved to be leaves of the common fern (Pteris aquilina), 
rolled up in so curious a manner, and in such quantity, as to plainly in- 
dicate that it was the result of a deliberate meal, and not an accident. 
The crop was so full as to be incapable of holding any additional 
material. No other substance was mixed with the leaves, the entire wad 
or ball being free from dirt of any character. Every leaflet of the fronds was 
intact, and after being soaked in warm water and spread out side by side 
they covered a space twelve inches square. The stomach and intestines 
appeared to contain parts of partly digested leaves, but nothing else, 
though this was not carefully determined. 
A ‘Fern-eating Woodcock’ is a novelty in my experience. Drs. Mer- 
riam and Fisher have desired me to send this record for publication to 
‘The Auk.’ This is one of the most singular instances noted, not ex- 
cepting even the record of the presence of an entire Song Sparrow in the 
crop of a Chuck-wills-widow. 
It may be mentioned that the locality where this Woodcock was shot 
was an open marsh, with bushes here and there, while springs and small 
streams afforded in abundance the usual food of this very fastidious bird. 
The specimen was in fine condition — a plump and fat old female. — 
Frederic S. Webster, n 1 ' 
Light on the woodcock and worm question : According to 
the last Smithsonian report the Hupa Indians, in Hum- 
boldt county, California, relish angleworms as a delicacy. 
In the autumn, when the ground has been well soaked by 
the rains, the Yuki housekeeper takes her “woman stick,” 
a pole 6ft. long and l-.Un. thick, sharpened and fire-hard- 
! ened at the end; and thrusting this into the ground about 
a foot in depth, twists it around in every direction, so 
agitating the earth that the worms come to the surface 
in large numbers for a radius of two or three feet, and 
are scooped up for soup. “Frequently,” says the report, 
“the worms are brought to the surface by the Indians 
,1 dancing over the ground to make the game uncomfort- 
able below.” The Indians of Round Valley punch a pole 
as far as possible into the damp earth, work it back and 
forward, and by pressure drive out the worms, which 
they eat raw or make into soup. Now, may it not be 
true that when the woodcock bores for worms it pro- 
cures them in three ways, by seizing any which it may 
come upon directly in boring, by agitating the earth by 
successive borings, thus driving the prey to the surface, 
and further by the dancing, stamping or beating with 
the wings described by observers? £ J * ■T * 
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Mtrt **■*£/. *? 
