LIMICOLM. frtèfrï
Söolopax RusTicuLA, Linnseus*;
THE WOODCOCK.
, Scolopax rmticola.
Sooiopax, Brissonf.—Beak long, straight, compressed; slender, soft, slightly
curved at the point j both mandibles grooved over the basal half of their length;
point of the upper mandible extending-beyond that of the lower mandible, ‘the’
curved part forming a slight crook ; superior ridge elected at the base, prominent.
Nostrils lateral, basal, pierced longitudinally near the edges of the
mandible, rjoyeredby a membrane. Legs rather short, tibia feathered nearly to
jo in t; three toes before, one .behind,-the anterior toes almost entirely divided-
Wings moderate, the first quill-feather the longest in the wing- Tail short
rounded. ’
A l t h o u g h the eggs or the young of the Woodcock have
been found, during one summer or another, in almost every
* Scolopax Eusticola, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 243 (-1766) • for rusti-
cula7 cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. cap. x. 5i (38).
t Ornithologie, v. p. 292 (1760)/ '
county in England, as well'-as hr many: of those of Scotland
and Ireland,- and alsoI morei frequently' o f late years than
formerly,'lyet- the great bulk of: the species must, be[understood
as ónly'winter'visitors, arriving .early in October, or
gooh afterwards’ and again departing northwards, in March.
The late Mr. '*Selfey,:Vne? Of bur best observers; residing in
the eastern part of Northumberland,! and only four: or:-five
htilèsilStoSi'the.’ sea, says;: ‘M-have; found that -these” birds
always'come: over; in the greatest .bodiesfin hazy weather,
with little wind, and that ’blowing from the north-east-;?!
and it is probable that-theyHhen find the upper fegfon óf.the
atmosphere, in which they1 fly,’ freer from counter currents
of air, than 'in: more^ópen weather.. After a night of this
description I havé frequently (met with great‘numbers upon
the-edges of plantations, in hedges,-gnd even, in turnip-fields;
and önjoyëd excellent sport for thês&ay; but I;on seëMng', on
fhêfallowing morning; for a u’ahêlvEÈl"'óf| similar 'success;- I
have not found a single bird, the whole "flight hawing, pro4:
ceeded- on their course during- the intervening night;. tIt is
during this time that • Woodcocks!*- like: móst .migratory birds,
p erf dr m; their ' j o urney s -v and' it seems:, probable that those
Which halt .upon the“1 eastern coast óf. Scotland,: and the
northern counties of 'England, have completed 1 their task
from shore to.'1 shore; Between sunset and sunrise,, as -they
appear Suit-little:fatigued on - t^eir arrival, providedsthe
weather has 'bëen calm-.r The distance of coasts of
Norway and Sweden,' from whence" these“- visitors' are', supposed
to^c'o-me, offers no objection tö-ithis" suppbshfö^ as- a
continued flight of eight or ten hours; even at a. fate inferior
to'wKat I conceive :th"ey are capable of accomplishing,, would
suffice for the transit; Another argument in favour uf this
supposition" is; dhe high - state of “condition in which ,the
birds generally arrive on our shores, especially at an ad-
; * Mr. N. F./HMe (Nbtes aboiit Aldeburgh, p. 122) says"of that part of Suffolk,
that Woodcocks al'waysr appear with a nor th'-Wf««/wind/ and under.no other cfe
cumstances also tbgt their flight*ig diTjeotly .against .the, wind.- ^nt^it.,hy .no
means follows that the diregti^n qif ^ e 'w d tw t h whigh-tbe^ birds- ^rop ?n t^e
land is the same’ as that' prevailing at a greater elevation,’ and this should be
taken into consideration'in estimating allbécövds of * the arrival of migrants. :