180 
THE WOODCOCK. 
with little art, of such withered leaves and old grass as the 
convenience of the place affords ; the eggs are four, rather 
large, of a dark yellowish-white approaching olive, specked 
and confluently blotched with three slightly different shades 
of dark yellowish-brown spots, most numerous at the greater 
end. Eggs have been found, even in Massachusetts, in 
sheltered woods, as early as the month of February; but 
the usual time, according to the age and general appear- 
ance of the young, is not before the commencement of 
April. 
At this time, in the morning, as well as evening, but more 
particularly the latter, the male, in the vicinity of his mate 
and nest, rises successively in a spiral course, like a lark. 
While ascending he utters a hurried and feeble warble ; but 
in descending the tones increase as he approaches towards 
the ground, and then, becoming loud and sweet, passes into 
an agreeable, quick, and tumultuous song. As soon as the 
performer descends, the sound ceases for a moment, when 
with a sort of stifled utterance, accompanied by a stiff and 
balancing motion of the body, the word blaik , and some- 
times paip paip is uttered. This uncouth and guttural 
bleating seems a singular contrast to the delightful serenade, 
of which this is uniformly the close. 
I heard this piping and bleating (says Mr. Nuttall) in the 
marshes of West Cambridge, on the 15th of April, and they 
had arrived about the first week in that month. This noc- 
turnal music continued at regular intervals, and in succes- 
