AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 
99 
end, and interspersed with others of a very pale purple. 
The nest of the woodcock has, in several instances that 
have come to my knowledge, been found with eggs in 
February; but its usual time of beginning to lay is. 
early in April. In July, August, and September, they 
are considered in good order for shooting. 
The woodcock is properly a nocturnal bird, feeding 
chiefly at night, and seldom stirring about till after 
sunset. At such times, as well as in the early part of 
the morning, particularly in spring, he rises by a kind 
of spiral course to a considerable height in the air, 
uttering at times a sudden quack , till, having gained his 
utmost height, he hovers around in a wild irregular 
manner, making a sort of murmuring sound ; then 
descends with rapidity as he rose. When uttering his 
common note on the ground, he seems to do it with diffi- 
culty, thro wing his head towards the earth, and frequently 
jetting up his tail. These notes and manoeuvres are 
most usual in spring, and are the call of the male to his 
favourite female. Their food consists of various larvae, 
and other aquatic worms, for which, during the evening, 
they are almost continually turning over the leaves 
with their bill, or searching in the bogs. Their flesh is 
reckoned delicious, and prized highly. They remain 
with us till late in autumn, and, on the falling of the 
first snows, descend from the ranges of the Alleghany 
to the lower parts of the country in great numbers ; 
soon after which, viz. in November, they move off to 
the south. 
This bird, in its general figure and manners, greatly 
resembles the woodcock of Europe, but is considerably 
less, and very differently marked below, being an entirely 
distinct species. A few traits will clearly point out 
their differences. The lower parts of the European 
woodcock are thickly barred with dusky waved lines, 
on a yellowish white ground. The present species has 
those parts of a bright ferruginous. The male of the 
American species weighs from five to six ounces, the 
female, eight ; the European, twelve. The European 
woodcock makes its fir^t appearance in Britain in 
