. The Sportsman's cabinet, and town and country magazine. e long flights, and are alwaysanxious to settle immediately, as thoughit was painful to sustain the dazzlinglight of the sun, and are as likely torush into danger as to avoid it, frequent-ly approaching the sportsman sufficientlynear to be stricken by the hand. Thewriter himself, during the past summer,while standing beneath the shade of atree, observed a woodcock settle withina few feet of him, and actually remainsome seconds before it took to flightagain; but this apparent stupidity isonly attributable to their imperfect vi-sion, in t
. The Sportsman's cabinet, and town and country magazine. e long flights, and are alwaysanxious to settle immediately, as thoughit was painful to sustain the dazzlinglight of the sun, and are as likely torush into danger as to avoid it, frequent-ly approaching the sportsman sufficientlynear to be stricken by the hand. Thewriter himself, during the past summer,while standing beneath the shade of atree, observed a woodcock settle withina few feet of him, and actually remainsome seconds before it took to flightagain; but this apparent stupidity isonly attributable to their imperfect vi-sion, in the day time. But no soonerdo the shades of evening appear, thanthey sally forth from their thousandhiding-places, to seek their food in openglades and meadows. At this time, anexpert shot may reap a rich reward forhis watchfulness, should he station him-self near to some dense swamp, wherethese birds are making continual ingressand egress. Often in his walks at twilight, alongthe secluded lane or lonely meadow,does the passenger observe an object < \. < «ll •k^ Town and Country Magazine* 417 like a phantom flit before his face, orspring from his path, with a whistHngnoise, and is lost in the impenetrablegloom which surrounds him : it is thislonely bird, unable to sustain that lightwhich gives life and gaiety to other birds,now breaking forth from every openingof the woody recess, to enjoy the comfortand protection which night affords, whileseeking the unmolested means of sustain-ing life. Woodcocks, although migratory, re-main frequently with us during the wholeyear—sometimes, when the streams arecovered with ice, and the ground with snow ; but their places of resort then,are in cedar swamps, and those springywoods, where the water never freezes,but is constantly oozing from the ground,and it a2)pears remarkable how this bird,whose food consists altogether of wormsand insects, should at this season of theyear, find means to sustain life ; but Na-ture ever provident i
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidspor, booksubjecthorses, booksubjectsports
