. Young folk's illustrated book of birds : with numerous original, instructive and amusing anecdotes . the limits of the Middle States, and retiringin winter, for the most part, either to or beyond theboundary of the Union. The European species, on the contrary, courting cooleiclimates, winters in Grreat Britain and the north of Europe,and retires as early as March, to breed in the Alps or inthe frigid wilds of Sweden, Norway, Russia, and penetrateteven to the icy shores of Greenland, and the heaths of Ice-land. About the same period, early in March, the Ameri-can Woodcock revisits Pennsylvani
. Young folk's illustrated book of birds : with numerous original, instructive and amusing anecdotes . the limits of the Middle States, and retiringin winter, for the most part, either to or beyond theboundary of the Union. The European species, on the contrary, courting cooleiclimates, winters in Grreat Britain and the north of Europe,and retires as early as March, to breed in the Alps or inthe frigid wilds of Sweden, Norway, Russia, and penetrateteven to the icy shores of Greenland, and the heaths of Ice-land. About the same period, early in March, the Ameri-can Woodcock revisits Pennsylvania, and soon after theNew England or Eastern States. Indeed, so sedentary isthe species at times, that a few are known to winter in thesheltered forests and open watery glades of Pennsylvania;at the same season also, many are seen in the vicinity ofNatchez, in Mississippi. According to cheir usual habits, they keep secluded inthe woods and thickets, till the approach of evening, whenthey sally forth to seek out springs, paths, and broken soil,in quest of worms and other insects, on which thej THE WOODCOCK. 17S Thej now disperse themselves over the country to breed,and indicate their presence in all directions by the marksof their boring bills, which are seen in such soft and boggyplaces as are usually sheltered by thickets and woods. Theyilso turn over the fallen leaves from side to side with theirbills in quest of lurking insects, but never scratch with theirfset, though so robust in their appearance. The sensibility possessed by the extremity of the bill, asin the snipe, is of such an exquisite nature, that they areenabled to collect their food by the mere touch, withoutusing their eyes, which are set at such a distance and eleva-tion in the back part of the head, as to give the bird aremarkable aspect of stupidity. When flushed or surprisedin their hiding-places, they only rise in a hurried manneito the tops of the bushes, or glide through the undergrowthto a short dis
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidyoungfol, booksubjectbirds
