. The American sportsman : containing hints to sportsmen, notes on shooting, and the habits of game birds and wild fowl of America . CHAPTER XII. THE WOODCOCK. SCOLOPAX MINOR. Hie in ! At that glad word away they dart,And, winding various ways, with careful speedExplore the cover. Hark! that quest proclaimsThe woodcocks haunt. THE CLAIMS OF THE WOODCOCK. HAT bird is there in the catalogue ofthe American sportsman which surpasses^^ the woodcock, whether we consider thebeauty of its plumage, its general con-tour, the richness and delicacy of itsmeat, or the pleasure derived from shooting it? Spo
. The American sportsman : containing hints to sportsmen, notes on shooting, and the habits of game birds and wild fowl of America . CHAPTER XII. THE WOODCOCK. SCOLOPAX MINOR. Hie in ! At that glad word away they dart,And, winding various ways, with careful speedExplore the cover. Hark! that quest proclaimsThe woodcocks haunt. THE CLAIMS OF THE WOODCOCK. HAT bird is there in the catalogue ofthe American sportsman which surpasses^^ the woodcock, whether we consider thebeauty of its plumage, its general con-tour, the richness and delicacy of itsmeat, or the pleasure derived from shooting it? Sportsmen eagerly pursue thisinteresting and noble bird in every quarterwhere he makes his appearance, and experience more gratification in the display of a couple of woodcocks than they would in the triumphant exhi-212. THE WOODCOCK. 21o bition of double or treble the same number of partridges, or anyothers of the feathered tribe. There seems to be something pecu-liarly attractive to the true sportsman in the very appearanceof this bird; for how often do we observe him examine with de-light the long and slender bill, variegated plumage, tapering legs,and large, mellow black eyes of each innocent victim, before con-signing him to the game-bag, and even exhibit more than ordinarycare in smoothing down and arranging his ruffled and bloodyfeathers. We, with the rest of shooters, both American and English, arequite an admirer of this bird, and derive more satisfaction fromkilling a few couples of them than we do in the slaughter of amultitude of rails or a fair proportion of partridges. Why wehave this feeling we will not pretend to explain; but we know thatwe have it, and have noticed it in others, and have more thanonce watched, with some degree of astonishment, the eagernesswith which most of our frien
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjecthunting, bookyear1885
