Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-28
A study Of the Woodcock,

Syracuse Courier. 81"
A study Of the WOOdcOck.
Maurice Thompson in the Chicago Tribune
There Is no common game bird whose habits
and manners are so imperfectly understood by
sportsmen and naturlllsts as those OF the
American w0odcock. The ''crippls - or marsh
tniokets In which the bird is usually found, as
Wen as the semi-nocturnal LIE or the oird
IselI, render Its study matter or great dlffi-
Guilty. For number OF years have exnausted
every every means TO acquire, by personal ooserva-
napits, and l here give such notes as seem
70 DC new, along with general description or
tne olf , mode OF life: Wilson and Heroert
uons, put they. together WITH Audubon aud
otners, nave overlooked some outte characfer
lS'dc attlouoes. ard have nowhere found any
suggestion, In the sketches of our artists
or certain habits peculiar TO the Mira
on number OF occasions L have closely
observer tne woodcock's system OF telegrapny
The bros mandfoleS are furnished with ey
tremely sensitive nerves, so arranged that
wnen the point OF the bill rests upon the
ground the slightest sounds are conveyed to
Its brain. Standing upon the water-saturated
earth OF spouty bog, our bird utters faint,
keen cry, scarcely audible at two rods dis.
lance, then Immediately lets fall his head TIL
tens attentively. II mis- mate hears him She re-
plies, puts her bill on the ground and listens
IN turn. So the love messages 60 back and
forth as long as the birds have anything 10 saw.
This sort OF thing usually happens 10 the soft
twllights from May to the middle OF August.
tin9 pug OCCASIONALLY 1 have seen and heard 1t
ls6o, 1 made the following note: To-day
sketched woodcock in the listening ATTITUDES.
Shall try to get further studies"
Five years later succeeded IN getting three
more sketches. ana last year QSS0) got four
more. Many Ok these and kindred sketches
have been obtained at the end OF Indies crib abe
care ana labor. the woodcock is SO shy, 50 at
tent1ye, so sensitive. that the least SOUND will
cause II TO skulk and hide-a thing It does with
even greater cunning and success than the
quail. The only way IN which 1 ever have
sketch its natural attitudes has been 10 crawl
on the wet ground through tangled weeds ana
SHRUBS until l reached hiding place On the
ootdeT OF It's feeding range, and there patiently
and silently watch for its coming. Tnls have
done over ana over again for days together
before gettng single sight OF the bird.
The Woodcock In captivity is little IKE the
WHO, wary bird OF our sprlngy or spouty
lands His attitudes and modes OF feeding are
when cramped Ia cage. lifeless and utterly
different from those OF the active fellow YOU
pursue In the exasperating cripple OF his wild
haunls- a skelcu Vi vsceuia IN r;Tisou and
picture OF him In the freedom OF the everglades
would compare together just as sketch OF
captive ana picture Oh free woodc0ck would
contrast with each other. In hunting with the
long bow, have usually killed the wood cock
on the ground. it being almost impossible to
shoot him on the wing With this weapon And
so 1t has happened tnat another OF the bird's
peculiar attitudes has come under my observa-
ZION. When flushed, his flight is strong. but
! rather short. When he lights he runs little
distance and s9uats fiat. usually With his tall
toward you: Then, In order to see or scent you
easily he throws back his head so that his bin
stands up vertically and his eyes shine ike
niack Deads Just above the butts OF his
you before you see him and will spring iato
the air at once. On the other hand, II the day
Is bright and you have the wind OF him
you you may get close upon him before he
Ing. and sometimes the mand.bles Will be
separated as II about TO utter cry. The WOOD
cock While feeding Is very active and agile
spots In the neighborhoo1 OF woodland springs.
where each bird is intent upon extracting from
the wet soil the worms grub5 and aquatic
BLUM. whose top is carpeted with blue grass
ana sna0ec Oy q giant pln-oak overlooking a
oil OF sprouty lana, where h-oad-leaved weeds
and rank water grasses grow in bright TUFTS
or tuSSock5, where every season some wood
COCK come 10 feed. In the cool shadow OF the
OAK lie upon the grass and peep over the
verge OF the bluff and look down upon tae
birds. whenever the little marsh is shaded
enough to bring them out. The eyes OF the
woodcock are set so high aud at SUCH an angle
IN his head that he seems haoitu ally to stare at
The SKY. The peculiar daIk crescent on his
cheek adds something almost slais5er ID his
expression.
Like so many aquatic and semi aluat;, birds.
Inc me Woodcoek has .'teeterlng" unbalanced
way OF fitting up and down as 1L walks, pacu.
liaTity most strongly marked In the sandpipers,
and Indicative OF tickle and changeful d!sposi.
ton. Most OF the woodcock killed for the mar
ket are taken when their pIumage is thin.
scraggly and dull, and when the birds are In
their very worst condition. The finest specl-
mems are taken In the south, just before they
March. They are then neither Door nor over
loaded with fat, but sleek, plump bright and
full OF life. once killed female on a slough
IN no nd5s Georgia which weighed eight and
In NJ
Woodcock are famous gourmands. Their d.
gest1Ve organs are so powerful that food Is as.
solved IN their stomachs With wonderful rapid
lty. Hence 1t was long supposed that they
lived by sucking liquid substance from the
earth In which they bored. Within the limits
OF "a hours healthy wOodcock will swallow
grubs and Larvae. OFTEN while lying In INV
hammock In the odorous southern woods /
have heard that peculiar humn1tng noise the
ground. The nest OF this bird is simply con.
structed, and usually lt is placed In a rather
exposed situation; but have sometimes found
along our western brooks and spring streams
where 1t locked the very ideal or a beautiful
hfrd-home. The male Is very attentive to his
mate curing the lncuoating season. He some
times rises by spiral flight vertically TO
nttle height, where he pauSes and balances In
tDe air Tor moment, and then dropS hum
ming TO the ground near the nest Tennyson [
believe IL is, who notes a similar habit OF the
sn1le in the verse;
'Ibe swamp where huns the dropping snipe,,
While suspended at the highest point OF this
hoVerlng Hight, the woodcock's wings are
sianteo upward ana his Dill and legs hang
down giving MIN very ludicrous appearance
It may be worth stating, just here, that the
large winged grasshopper OF the south aud
west has this same habit OF suspending itself
In the air for a time and then falling sIraIyht
down to the ground.
The Texas Cattle Drtye,, oe fin.
Present Year.
The great herds OF the cattle ranges or
western Texas are driven northward through
Indian Territory and Kansas, whence,they are
distributed TO the points where they are 10 de-
these Groves. The Qutu, paper published in
Castroville Texas, recently gave what it de-
ciaIeo 10 De the corrected figures of the
"drlVes" OF 1851. The tabular Statement gives
the names OF the oHnera and fha nMmhSSr OF