46 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
“About the month of March they return from the 
plains to the mountains. ‘I hey go away paired, 
then they fly fwiftly all the night without ftop- 
ping. They hide themfelves i in the woods all the 
day, they fet out again in the serait to continue, 
their flight. 
_. They make their nefls on the ground, as all 
| bjeds do who cannot perch: the neft is compofed 
of leaves and dried grals, intermixed with little 
| Aticks ; pitts made with very little art, at the foot 
of a tree, or under a root, and they lay four or 
fiveeges. | 
“As foon as the young are hatched they ieee the 
neft, and run though they are only covered with 
down. They begin to fy, too, as foon as they 
have. quill feathers, and before the feathers are 
formed upon their bodies. 
When they are difcovered they. run and flutter, 
‘and: their parents have been feen to take one of 
their young ones, probably the weakelt, whi ed , 
it more than a mile. 
- ‘The parent birds are very fond of each tii: : 
and the one often refts its bill upon the back of 
‘the other. The Woodcock is found in the. con- 
tinent of America, as well as in Europe, Afia, : 
and Africa, and in almot ‘every climate. 
2 sonots 
Though 
a“ 
