. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. !»:â ' I- i. : U 3 Species II. SCOLOPAX MINOR. WOODCOCK. [Plate XLVIII. Yig. 2.] Arct. Zool. p. 463, No. 305.âTurt. Syst. 396.* This bird, like the preceding,! is universally known to our sports- men. It arrives in Pen 'v-iiiia early in March, sometimes sooner; and I doubt not but in mih. " ^ some few remain with us the whole of that season. During the dc.^ uey keep to the woods and thickets, and at the approach of evening seek the springs, and open watery places, to feed in. Th
. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. !»:â ' I- i. : U 3 Species II. SCOLOPAX MINOR. WOODCOCK. [Plate XLVIII. Yig. 2.] Arct. Zool. p. 463, No. 305.âTurt. Syst. 396.* This bird, like the preceding,! is universally known to our sports- men. It arrives in Pen 'v-iiiia early in March, sometimes sooner; and I doubt not but in mih. " ^ some few remain with us the whole of that season. During the dc.^ uey keep to the woods and thickets, and at the approach of evening seek the springs, and open watery places, to feed in. They toon disperse over the country to breed. About the beginning of July, particularly in long-continued hot â¢weather, they descend to tho marshy shores of our large rivers, their favorite springs and watery recesses, inland, being chiefly dried up. To the former of these retreats they are pursued by the merciless sportman, flushed by dogs, and sliot down in great numbers. This species of amusement, when eagerly followed, is still more laborious and fatiguing than that of Snipe-shooting; and from the nature of the ground, or cripple as it is usually calleil, viz., deep mire, intersected with old logs, which are covered and hid from sight by high reeda, weeds and abler ])ushes, the best dogs are soon tired out; and it is cus- tomary with Hportsmen, who regularly pursue this diversion, to have two sots of dogs, to relieve each other alternately. The Woodcock usually begins to lay in April. Tho nest is placed on the ground, in a retired part of the woods, frequently at the root of an old stump. It is formed of a few withered leaves, and stalks of grass, laid with very little art. The female lays four, sometimes five, eggs, ab(iut an inch and a half long, and an inch or rather more in diameter, tapering smldenly to the small end. These are of a dun clay color, thickly marked with spots of brown, particularly at the great end, and interspersed with others of a very
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