Scolopax rusticola, LINNÆUS; La Bécasse, BUFFON; Die
Waldschnepfe, BECHSTEIN.
The woodcock is found in every part of Europe where there are forests.
The beak is three or four inches in length, straight, and reddish at the
base; the back of the head is crossed with dusky bands; the upper part
of the body and wings are rust brown, streaked with grey and black; the
breast and belly are dusky white, with dark brown lines.
OBSERVATIONS.--The woodcock builds its nest on the ground in
mountainous districts; lays three or four dusky pale yellow eggs, and
feeds on worms, snails, and the grubs of insects, which it seeks in
meadows, marshes, and fields. In October it quits the high lands for
more temperate parts; this migration is called its _passage_, and as
these birds constantly follow the same route, this is the time when
fowlers, scattered in its destined path, prepare for a chase, either
with guns or large nets made for the purpose, and await the moment
when these birds quit the meadows for the woods, or the woods for the
meadows. The flight of woodcocks is slow and awkward, but they are
very fine game, the flesh being wholesome and of an excellent
flavour; they are generally cooked without taking out the intestines.
In the house, by beginning with insects and ants' eggs, the woodcock
may be accustomed by degrees to the universal paste. Twenty years ago
I saw, in an aviary at Carlsruhe, a tame woodcock that would come
from his cage and show himself to strangers; it was a male, and
appeared very willing to pair, if it could have found a mate.