170 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
regularly hailed the legitimate time for Woodcock shooting, as 
the first of September in England for Partridge. 
In New Jersey, which is in almost every respect a century 
behind all the neighboring States, there is a special proviso 
that on his own ground every man may kill all sorts of game 
whenever he pleases, without the slightest reference to common 
sense or humanity, and may give permission, to any one he 
pleases, to do likewise. A proviso, which not only abrogates 
the whole law, in point of fact, but in truth gives the poacher a 
clear advantage over the honorable sportsman. 
There is, however, I imagine, no prospect of any alteration of 
this law, which is in perfect keeping with the pig-headed 
stupidity manifested throughout the legislation of that State. 
And why, in fact, should not a man be allowed to kill Wood¬ 
cock whenever he likes on his own ground, in a State wherein 
a company is licensed to kill men and women, whenever they 
like, on their own rail-road; and charge them whatever they 
like for killing them into the bargain ] 
On the first of July, then, Woodcock shooting legitimately 
commences ; although before that day hundreds, nay thousands, 
are killed along the sea-board, and notoriously offered for sale 
by almost all the restaurateurs and hotel-keepers in New-York, 
the utmost efforts of the Sportsman’s Club to the contrary not¬ 
withstanding. 
At this period, about four-fifths of the birds—the young 
birds, of course, I mean—are half grown or thereabout, some 
only being a few weeks old, and others, in late and adverse 
seasons, scarcely hatched. 
The Woodcock commences laying as early as the beginning 
of February, and sometimes lays so late as to the end of June, 
or the beginning of July. The eggs are four, and sometimes 
five in number,—of no more than this does any naturalist in¬ 
form us. Whether the old birds regularly breed a second, and 
third time, what becomes of the young birds of the first hatch¬ 
ing in the meantime, and whether they are protected by the 
male bird, is all left dark. 
