brown ; neck in front, breast, and all ther under surface of
the body, wood-brown, transversely barred with dark brown,
both shades of brown on the under surface becoming lighter
in old birds; under wing-coverts pale brown, barred with
dark brown; under surface of the quill-feathers dry-slate
grey, the triangular markings yellowish-grey ; under surface
of the tail-feathers nearly black, tipped with delicate snow-
white; legs and toes varying from livid brownrto pale yellow;
claws black. * ' , iT
The whole length is about fourteen inches; and a half.
From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, eight inches
and a half f the first quill-feather the longest.
Varieties in plumage are- not uncommon, sometimes with
a portion of white, or entirely of a dull yellowish-white, or
buff colour. In one example, every feather of this, bird was
of a pure and delicate untinted white, the bill and legs-being
very pale-Wood-brown. Mr. J. Whitaker, of Eainworth
Lodge, Mansfield, possesses some remarkable ivarietiesfi: one,
of especial beauty, is white, boldly spotted and marked-, with
black patches on the centres.efrthe feathers of the mantle,
head, and tail, and with;; faint dark hair-lines down the
secondaries and primaries. It was - shot near Londonderry
in 1880. > ; V; . - v ../
In the year 1838, a Woodcock with white feathers in the:
wings was observed in a cover on the manor of. Monkleigh,
near Torrington, in the county offBevon. .'The- same bird,'
or’one of exactly similar plumage, reappearedlimMie fsame
place during the four succeeding seasons, in which- period it
was so repeatedly shot at by different persons iwdthoutfeffect/
that it at last, acquired among the country .people» the- name
of “ the witch.” In the yep*. was? killed
on the property ofrthe Eevid. T. Pine Coffin, of Portledge,
who had the specimen! preserved.
In reference, to thesubject .forming the vignette, it may be
explained that on the 29th of November, 1829,-the late.-Sir
Francis Chantrey, when- sharing <itf Holkham, skilled two
Woeicpcks at one shot. Tojreeord this everrtpSir.Francis
Chantrey sculptured two» Woodcocks :pn • a marble tablet,
which he presented to Mr. Coke, afterwards Earl of Leicester,
and which is now in the library at Holkham.* Sir Francis
afterwards presented -tjie Author with the drawing on wood,
which is here engraved. The occurence, from itg singularity,
has been the subject of many epigrams-and complimentary
verses, which have been collected in a small volume by Mr.
J, P. Muir head, entitle^ ‘ Winged Words, pn Chantrey s
Woodcocks.’ The following couplet was written by the late
Mr. Hudson Gurney.:—
Driven'from the north,- where winter starved .them,
‘ . Chantrey frsfrliiot.^nd then he carved them. " ’A
* Mr. Stevenson states B of Norfolk^ i i ^ . ^ S ^ h a t although'the date Carved
or the marble is 1836,-the Jgme-book pn^uesttonajhlylshows that the-event took
place in \k e previous year, p i e versiohof tbe couplet now given, which-differs
I M W M M an£ also, from that m
‘ Winged Words,’ in, aecordingfr Mr. J. H. gurney, eoi$g§|,r||djng.