Evening journal., 1914-05-13
WOODCOCK RAPIDLY
IS DISAPPEARING
Attractive Looking Bird De-
creasing in Numbers in
This Country
ITS PLUMAGE is
PLEASANT TO EYE

There is no bird in America that
surpasses the woodcock in beauty Of
plumage and delicacy Of flesh. This
statement is vouched for by both
sportsmen and naturalists, and il is
with regret that all true sportsmen
will learn from reports Of the game
wardens that this bird is rapidly
disappearing. It is very attractive
looking bird, with its long bill, varie-
gated plumage, tapering legs and
large, mellow black eyes, and when
mounted properly and covered with
a glass case It is an ornament for
the sportsman's den that gives much
pleasure to the eye.
The bird is found in Eastern North
America from Canada to the gulf, and
while it is migratory, It sometimes
remains in the north nearly all the
year; in fact, cases are reported Of
its remaining in New Jersey, Della
ware and Pennsylvania throughout
the entire year Different localities
give It different names-blind, wall
eyed, mud, big head and whistling
snipe, night pick, bog bird and pewee
being some of them.
The male bird is about ten or
eleven inches in length and the female
from eleven to twelve This Is one
OF the oddities of nature, for, as a
rule, the male bird in most of the
other species of game birds is always
the largest and their plumage the
brightest The plumage of both male
and female woodcock is similar with
the exception that the black on the
back of the female is not so pro-
nounced. The only other noticeable
difference between male and female
is that the bill of the female is slight
ly longer This and other slight diff
ferences has caused many sportsmen
to suppose that there are two species
OF woodcock This Is an error
Begin Laying in April.
Woodcocks begin laying in April,
the snow often remaining on the
ground when the nest Is built The
nest Is made of dry leaves and grass,
and IS as elaborate as the nest Of
the quail. II Is made near an old
stump or tussoclS in the deep woods,
and contains from three to fiye eggs
about an inch long Of brownish-
spotted color.
Incubation takes about three weeks,
the same as quail. and Frank Forest
er is emphatic in stating that two
broods are raised in many instances,
the male bird taking care OF the first
brood while the female is on the nest
second time The young birds, after
leaving the shell, are not as lively
as the quail, but still are very active,
and are adept at hiding, and when
startled by gunner or dog are as
sisted In their flight by the female,
which fiutters Just out of reach with
all the indications Of being wounded,
Once the mother knows her young are
safe, she quickly flies out of danger,
returning to her young later by an
entirely different route.
Writers on the habits of the wood
cock differ widely, especially as to
the mothers care of the young.
Some claim that when food becomes
scarce the mother places the young
bird on her back and flies to a better
feeding ground. Others claim the
young birds are held between the
mothers legs when flying. Which
one is right is a matter Of conjecture;
but the fact remains that the wood
cock does transport her young in
some manner until they are able to
fly, which is in the course of ten days
or two weeks.
Open Season for WOOdcOck.
With a favorable season the young
cocks are about half wrogn by the
middle Of July. There is an open
season for the bird in July in several
Of the Eastern States. This should
not be so, as Il does not give the birds
hatched that year a chance to breed.
and the only thing that can be said
in favor Of July shooting is that the
water and mud which have to be
waded through to get to their haunts
is not SO cold as in October and Mo-
vember. On the other hand, the heat
of July is surely enough to make
sane man think twice before going
cunning. However, many do. and un-
til the law is so amended as to pro-
hibit July shooting, there will be no
noticeable increase in numbers OF
these birds.
The woodcock delights in a wet,
loamy soil, and are seldom found In
the upland districts, but most fire.
quently locate themselves along the
marshy Willow and alder borders and
flats of rivers, and when there has
been a long continuance of dry
weather IL is useless to examine light
or open coverts or sparse woods in
quest of them, as at such times they
will be found either on the open wet
bottoms or in the impermeable thick
cts and brakes.
Those that remain in the north late
in the season can always be found in
the deep and sheltered wood swamps,
where the insects, larvae and earth
worms, protected in a measure from
the cold, are enabled to remain near
the surface during the severest wea-
ther. These earthworms are secured
by the bird boring with its bill into
the soft ground, and as the bill is
well supplied nerves and extremely
sensitive to the touch few worms can
hope to escape its searching explor-
ations, if within two or three inches
OF the surface.
Woodcocks are voraeious, or rather
It should be said they are very greedy
and it is difficult to keep them cap
tive owing to the difficulty of obtain
ing a sufficency OF food suitable for
+. them.
Owning a home may ne vo,,r id,a