Chapter XLVIII: Part 48

One of the keepers in Richmond Park informs me that he has often heard his father, who was also a keeper, mention that, in the reign of George the Second, a large flock of wild turkeys, consisting of not less than two thousand, was regularly kept up as part of the stock of the park. In the autumn and winter they fed on acorns, of which they must have had an abundant supply, since the park was then almost wooded with oak, with a thick cover of furze; and although at present eleven miles in circumference, it was formerly much larger, and connected with extensive possessions of the Crown, some of which are now alienated. Stacks of barley were also put in different places in the park for their support; and some of the old turkey cocks are said to have weighed from twenty-five to thirty pounds. They were hunted with dogs, and made to take refuge in a tree, where they were frequently shot by George the Second. I have not been able to learn how long they had been preserved in the park before his reign, but they were totally destroyed towards the latter end of it, in consequence of the dangers to which the keepers were exposed in protecting them from poachers, with whom they had many bloody fights, being frequently overpowered by them.

Though I have not been able, in any of the accounts which have been given of Richmond Park, to find a notice of the stock of turkeys; there can, I think, be no doubt of the fact, since the ancestors of the present head and second keepers of the park had, for many generations, been keepers in it, and have handed down to their present successors many curious accounts of the fights which took place between them and the poachers, in the preservation of the turkeys.

That turkeys would increase rapidly in the park if left to themselves, there can be no doubt, as a stray hen turkey brought up a large brood, which I saw, and which were quite wild. They kept in a part of the park little frequented, and if disturbed would take a flight and settle in trees: they were subsequently shot, and were in good condition. Had these birds been suffered to remain, they would probably have increased rapidly.

The only wild turkeys which I can at present hear of, are to be found in the park of Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, at Wynnstay, where there is a flock consisting of about five hundred. They were tried in Windsor Great Park, but did not succeed there. A few bustards are still to be found near Newmarket; but I believe they have quite deserted Salisbury Plain.—_Jesse._

WILLOW, _s._ A tree.

WIND, _s._ A strong motion of the air; breath, power of respiration;
flatulence; windiness; _down the wind_, to decoy.

_Thick wind_ is a common consequence of either acute or chronic inflammations. In some instances, it is the immediate consequence of violent or long-continued exercise, particularly on a distended stomach and bowels, or after full drinking; or it may be brought on by the application of cold. It is often connected with a plethoric state, and is therefore very common among gross feeders, and where the exercise is not proportioned to the work; and more particularly in low-bred and thickset horses. The remote causes are usually increased vascular action; the proximate, the deposit occasioned by it, which blocks up the air-cells, and thus interferes with the freedom of respiration. The post-mortem examinations of such cases, exhibit, in some instances, a slight hepatisation of lung, the consequence of repeated congestions in plethoric habits; in others, the minute bronchial cells are filled with adhesive matter, or the general parenchymatous substance may be pervaded with minute granulations of a bluish colour.

The symptoms of thick wind are sufficiently known to any one at all conversant with horses, and the rationale by which they are produced is not difficult to explain. The capacity of the air cells being diminished, renders it necessary for the air to be more frequently taken in, because, being acted on by a less surface, the blood is not sufficiently oxygenated; and a sufficient number of air cells not being expanded, a sense of fulness in the right side of the heart induces the animal to make hasty inspirations to remedy the defect, and consequently hasty expirations: the force with which these are operated, occasions the sound so well known as the distinguishing mark of thick wind. In this affection, the obstruction to both being equal, the inspirations and expirations are equal, which serves to distinguish it from broken wind, in which there is no obstruction to the entrance; and therefore the breath is drawn in with its usual facility, but is expelled with difficulty. Thick wind is, however, very apt to degenerate into that state termed broken wind; and the post-mortem appearances of such horses as have been examined under thick wind would readily, by an increase of the disorganisation, account for the symptoms of broken wind; but it cannot be the hepatised lung that is changed into the emphysematous state.

The treatment of thick wind can seldom be more than palliative, as, once established, it remains permanent. In very recent cases, bleeding, blistering the chest, or mildly stimulating the course of the trachea and bronchia, by mercurial frictions, to promote the absorption of any deposit, may be tried. These having failed, a preventive treatment should be adopted, calculated to avoid any increase of the evil, as in the treatment of broken wind. I have, now and then, witnessed benefit from repeated doses of mild mercurial physic.

_Broken Wind._—The remote causes of broken wind are hereditary or constitutional liability, as well as the remaining sufficiently long under the action of causes capable of exciting morbid changes in the respiratory organs themselves. A certain form of body is unquestionably favourable to its production, and it is from this circumstance that it proves hereditary. The narrow confined chest, and the pendent belly, which mark low bred horses and gross feeders, all of whom are observed to be peculiarly liable to it, are predisponents, by confining the ordinate action of the lungs, and affording no reserve for the inordinate. It must be this defect in form which makes it more common in mares than horses; subjecting horses to a long-continued unhealthy course of feeding on dry food, as chaff, bran, barley meal, &c., &c., brings it on; or working in mills, where much dust is necessarily inhaled. It is seldom the immediate consequence of pneumonia, but frequently it results from those states of disordered respiration which succeed to it, as thick wind, chronic cough, &c. The proximate causes we are as much in the dark about; we see that it gradually steals on a horse, occupying months, and even years, in a slight occasional cough, which ripening into a state of slightly impeded respiration on exertion, at last ends in broken wind. We see it also follow one hard gallop, and we can leave a horse well one day, and find him broken-winded the next.

The symptoms of this complaint are well marked; the cough and the mode in which respiration is performed may be considered as pathognomonic. The sound emitted by the cough is peculiar to this asthmatic state, and is often forced out with a kind of grunt through the upper part of the trachea, in a short but vibrating feeble tone compared with the usual cough of sound winded horses. The respiration is conducted with a remarkable difference between the inspirations and expirations. Inspiration is effected quickly and with the ordinary ease, because, as would be argued by those who favour the opinion that an emphysematous state of lungs is the sole cause of this equine asthma, the air is supposed readily to find its way into the cellular tissue of the ruptured air-cells, where, becoming entangled, it occasions that remarkable difference in the ease with which inspiration is effected and the lengthened laborious effort of expiration, which, it may be observed, is performed by two distinct efforts, in one of which the usual muscles operate, and in the other the auxiliary muscles, particularly the abdominal, which are put on the stretch to complete the expulsion more perfectly; after which the flank falls with peculiar force, when these muscles resume their relaxations. An auxiliary symptom is the peculiar flatulence of every broken-winded horse, which is strikingly characteristic of that disordered state of digestion so common in these cases, and of that constant thirst also which is invariably present.

The treatment of broken wind can seldom be more than palliative. Whatever increases the distension of the vessels generally, as a state of plethora, or of the stomach and bowels particularly, aggravates the complaint by increasing the difficulty of expanding the lungs. Therefore, avoid stimulants, and promote regular evacuations by the bowels; abstain from over-distension of the lungs by too violent and too sudden exertions, particularly after eating; for the food, although it may be supposed to pass the stomach quickly, yet is retained longer in the large intestines, which equally press on the diaphragm. By carefully attending to these principal indications, a broken-winded horse may be rendered comfortable to himself, and useful to his owner. The food should be regularly given in moderate quantities only; but most particularly it should be of such a nature as will contain much nutriment in a small space: hence corn is more proper than hay, and, above all, I have found a manger food composed of one part bran, one part bruised beans, and two parts braised oats, agree particularly well, given somewhat moistened, as indeed all the food given to a broken-winded horse should be. On a sufficient quantity of this food a horse will need but very little hay, and what he does have should be of the oldest and best kind, and principally given at night as a condiment to the corn. When they can be got, give also carrots, mangel wurzel, Swedish turnips, parsneps, or cooked potatoes, which feeding will be found to combine both medicine and nutriment, and render little water necessary. Turning out to grass commonly aggravates the symptoms of broken wind; but a daily run on a very short pasture is generally found advantageous, and a neglect of moderate exercise aggravates the complaint greatly; water should be sparingly given, particularly in the working hours: at night, a moderate quantity may and should be allowed, but on no account let the broken-winded horse drink his fill at a pond or trough. Medicinally, it may not be improper to bleed when the occasional symptoms run high; and benefit has been received from daily doses of foxglove under these circumstances. I have also administered antimony and nitre with advantage.

_Modes of distinguishing soundness and unsoundness of the Wind._—These various affections of the wind are very important to the veterinarian, nor can he be too well informed of the appearances that characterise each distinctly; because, as their existence affects the legal soundness of horses, so he will be very often forced to decide peremptorily on very slight appearances. To detect thick wind it is generally necessary that some time be spent with the horse; and it is often requisite that he should be examined under various circumstances. Does he bear moderate exercise, immediately after eating or drinking, without blowing high? Does he cough in so doing, or is he observed to do it on every change of position, or temperature; particularly after drinking? And does he when in the stable, field, or when completely at rest, occasionally cough short, hollow, and not followed by that firm effort we call clearing afterwards? In such a case the horse has chronic cough; and as his breathing is more or less accelerated beyond the ordinary standard, he is more or less thick-winded also. Roaring may be immediately detected by a brisk gallop; but the person who is to judge of its existence should be on the ground, and the horse should pass him several times, but without restraint; for I have seen horses whipped into a momentary cessation of the roaring.

Broken wind can hardly be mistaken; the cough accompanying it conveys a peculiar sound; it is short, vibrates within, and is combined with a grunting effort, more particularly observable on any sudden motion or surprise; to produce which, dealers hold up the horse’s head, and then either strike, or pretend to strike, him suddenly, or kick him, which usually elicits this peculiar grunting sound. The breathing is hurried in the extreme by exertion, and is remarkable by being made up of three efforts instead of two. In the first, the air is drawn in naturally, and the flanks fill up as usual; but in the next, the falling of the flanks, again to expel the air, is most unusual; for it is not done with a gradual contraction of the muscles, but takes place at once by a momentary effort; and then a third action takes place, which is a slow but strong drawing up of the muscles of the belly, as though to press out remaining air. Broken-winded horses are also observed to be peculiarly greedy after water; and a little hurried motion distends the nostrils, and produces evident distress.—_Blaine._

WINDGALL, _s._ Windgalls are soft, yielding, flatulent tumours or
bladders, full of corrupt jelly, which grow upon each side of
the fetlock joints, and are so painful in hot weather and hard
ways, that they make a horse to halt.

Windgalls consist of distended bursæ mucosæ, which have been described as small bags or sacs filled with synovia; and interposed between tendons and the parts upon which they move; but this is not the case. Windgalls seldom occasion lameness, and rarely disappear even after blistering and rest. Firing and long rest are the most likely means of strengthening the parts. In cases where no inconvenience is felt from them this severe operation is not advisable, but the legs may be kept bandaged.—_White._

WINDGUN, _s._ A gun which discharges a bullet by means of wind
compressed; the air gun.

WING, _s._ The limb of a bird by which it flies; a fan to winnow;
flight, passage by the wing; the side bodies of an army; any
side piece.

The bastard wings (_alula spuria_, LINN.) are three or five quill-like feathers, placed at a small joint rising at the middle part of the wing.

The lesser coverts of the wings, (_tetrices primæ_, LINN.) are small feathers that lie in several rows on the bones of the wings. The under coverts are those that line the inside of the wings.

The greater coverts, (_tetrices secundæ_, LINN.) are the feathers that lie immediately over the quill feathers and the secondaries.

The primores or primary quills, (_primores_, LINN.) are the largest feathers of the wings; they rise from the first bone.

The secondaries, or secondary quills (_secondariæ_, LINN.) are those that rise from the second bone.

The tertials take their rise from the second bone, at the elbow joint, forming a continuation of the secondaries, and seem to do the same with the scapulars, which lie over them. These feathers are so long in some of the scolopax and tringa genera, that when the bird is flying they give it the appearance of having four wings.—_Montagu._

WING, _v._ To furnish with wings; to enable to fly; to maim a bird
by hitting the wing; to supply with side bodies.

WINGED, _a._ Furnished with wings; flying; swift, rapid; hurt in the
wing.

WIPE, _v._ To cleanse by rubbing with something soft; to take away
by tersion.

WIRE, _s._ Metal drawn into slender threads.

WISP, _s._ A small bundle, as of hay or straw.

WITHERS, _s._ Is the joining of the shoulder-bones at the bottom of
the neck and mane.

_Fistula of the Withers._—This disease comes by very severe bruises from the fore part of the saddle, which being neglected and repeated from time to time, produces at length an inflammation of the spinous processes of the dorsal vertebræ. A deep-seated abscess is the consequence, and the matter penetrates in different directions before it arrives at the surface, where at length it causes a tumour, which is very different from a common abscess, and requires always a considerable time to be cured. To give vent to the matter is the first object, and when that has been done, the extent of the injury must be ascertained. When this cannot be done, and this is sometimes the case, the caustic tents must be introduced, as I have described in the chapter on wounds and bruises; and when the slough or core which this causes, has separated, which will generally be in three or four days, the finger should be introduced as well as a probe, and the direction of the sinuses ascertained. A depending opening for the matter to run off freely must always be obtained, by cutting open the part freely. If a clean sore has been thus produced, or if it can be ascertained that there are no more sinuses or pipes, the cure may be effected by mild dressings, or tents of digestive ointment, tincture of myrrh, &c.; but this is seldom the case, and repeated dressings with caustic tents are generally necessary. As soon as the bottom of the sore is arrived at, it will often be found that the tops of the spinous processes or the ligament covering them have been injured, and the bare bone may be distinctly felt with the probe. When this is the case the bare bone must be scraped with a suitable instrument, and then dressed with tincture of myrrh; after this the wound will readily heal by continuing to dress it with tincture of myrrh or digestive ointment, according to the directions given on wounds.—_White._

WITHERWRUNG, _s._ An injury caused by the bite of a horse, or by a
saddle being unfit, especially when the bows are too wide.

WOAD, _s._ A plant cultivated in England for the use of dyers, who
use it for laying the foundation of many colours.

WOLFDOG, _s._ A dog of a very large breed, kept to guard sheep; a
dog bred between a dog and a wolf.

WOODCOCK, (_Scolopax rusticola_, LINN.; _La Becasse_, BUFF.) _s._ A
bird of passage with a long bill.

The woodcock measures fourteen inches in length, and twenty-six in breadth, and generally weighs about twelve ounces. The shape of the head is remarkable, being rather triangular than round, with the eyes placed near the top, and the ears very forward, nearly on a line with the corners of the mouth. The upper mandible, which measures about three inches, is furrowed nearly its whole length, and at the tip it projects beyond, and hangs over the under one, ending in a kind of knob, which, like those of others of the same genus, is susceptible of the finest feeling, and calculated by that means, aided, perhaps by acute smell, to find the small worms in the soft moist grounds from whence it extracts them with its sharp-pointed tongue. With the bill it also turns over and tosses the fallen leaves in search of the insects which shelter underneath. The crown of the head is of an ash colour, the nape and the back part of its neck black, marked with three bars of rusty red: a black line extends from the corners of the mouth to the eyes, the orbits of which are pale buff; the whole under parts are yellowish white, numerously barred with dark waved lines. The tail consists of twelve feathers, which, like the quills, are black, and indented across with reddish spots on the edges; the tip is ash-coloured above, and of a glossy white below. The legs are short, feathered to the knees, and, in some, are of a bluish cast, in others, of a sallow flesh colour. The upper parts of the plumage are so marbled, spotted, barred, streaked and variegated, that to describe them with accuracy would be difficult and tedious. The colours consisting of black, white, grey, ash, red, brown, rufous, and yellow, are so disposed in rows, crossed, and broken at intervals by lines and marks of different shapes, that the whole seems to the eye, at a little distance, blended together and confused, which makes the bird appear exactly like the withered stalks and leaves of ferns, sticks, moss and grasses, which form the back ground of the scenery by which it is sheltered in its moist and solitary retreats. The sportsman only being accustomed to it, is enabled to discover it, and his leading marks are his full dark eye, and glossy silver white-tipped tail. In plumage the female differs very little from the male, and, like most other birds, only by being less brilliant in her colours.

The flesh of the woodcock is held in very high estimation, and hence it is eagerly sought after by the sportsman. It is hardly necessary to notice, that in cooking it, the entrails are not drawn, but roasted within the bird, from whence they drop out with the gravy, upon slices of toasted bread, and are relished as a delicious kind of sauce.

The woodcock is migratory, and in different seasons is said to inhabit every climate: it leaves the countries bordering upon the Baltic, in the autumn and setting in of winter, on its route to this country. They do not come in large flocks, but keep dropping in upon our shores singly, or sometimes in pairs, from the beginning of October till December. They must have the instinctive precaution of landing only in the night, or in dark misty weather, for they are never seen to arrive, but are frequently discovered the next morning in any ditch which affords shelter, and particularly after the extraordinary fatigue occasioned by the adverse gales which they often have to encounter in their aërial voyage. They do not remain on the shores to take their rest longer than a day, but commonly find themselves sufficiently recruited in that time to proceed inland to the very same haunts which they left the preceding season. In temperate weather they retire to the mossy moors and high bleak mountainous parts of the country; but as soon as the frost sets in, and the snow begins to fall, they return to lower and warmer situations, where they meet with boggy grounds and springs, and little oozing mossy rills which are rarely frozen, and seek the shelter of the close bushes of holly, furze, and brakes, in the woody glens, or hollow dells which are covered with underwood: there they remain concealed during the day, and remove to different haunts and feed only in the night. From the beginning of March to the end of that month, or sometimes to the middle of April, they keep drawing towards the coasts, and avail themselves of the first fair wind to return to their native woods: should it happen to continue long to blow adversely, they are thereby detained; and as their numbers increase, they are more easily found and destroyed by the merciless sportsman.

The female makes her nest on the ground, generally at the root or stump of a decayed tree; it is carelessly formed of a few dried fibres and leaves, upon which she lays four or five eggs, larger than those of a pigeon, of a rusty grey colour, blotched and marked with dusky spots. The young leave the nest as soon as they are freed from the shell, but the parent birds continue to attend and assist them until they can provide for themselves. Buffon says they sometimes take a weak one under their throat, and convey it more than a thousand paces.

Latham mentions three varieties of British woodcocks: in the first the head is of a pale red, body white, and the wings brown; the second is of a dun, or rather cream colour; and the third of a pure white. Dr. Heysham, in his catalogue of Cumberland animals, mentions his having met with one, the general colour of which was a fine pale ash, with frequent bars of a very delicate rufous; tail brown, tipped with white; and the bill and legs flesh colour. In addition to these, some other varieties are taken notice of by the late Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq. of Wycliff, in his interleaved books on ornithology.

Latham and Pennant assert that some woodcocks deviate from the course which nature seems to have taught their species, by remaining throughout the year and breeding in this country; and this assertion Mr. Tunstall corroborates by such a number of well authenticated instances, that the fact is unquestionable.

When the woodcock is pursued by the sportsman, its flight is very rapid but short, as it drops behind the first suitable sheltering coppice with great suddenness, and in order to elude discovery runs swiftly off, in quest of some place where it may hide itself in greater security.

* * * * *

To describe the various methods which are practised by fowlers to catch this bird would be tedious; but it may not be improper to notice those most commonly in use, and against which it does not seem to be equally on its guard as against the gun. It is easily caught in the nets, traps, and springes, which are placed in its accustomed runs or paths, as its suspicions are all lulled into security by the silence of the night; and it will not fly or leap over any obstacles which are placed in its way, while it is in quest of its food; therefore in those places barriers and avenues formed of sticks, stones, &c., are constructed, so as to lure it into the fatal openings where it is entrapped; in like manner, a low fence made of the tops of broom stuck into the ground across the wet furrow of a field, or a runner from a spring which is not frozen, is sufficient to stay its progress, and to make it seek from side to side for an opening through which it may pass, and there it seldom escapes the noose that is set to secure it.

* * * * *

They leave the north with the first frost, and travel slowly south till they come to their accustomed winter quarters, they do not usually make a quick voyage, but fly from wood to wood, reposing and feeding on their journey, they prefer for their haunts woods near marshes or morasses; they hide themselves under thick bushes in the day, and fly abroad to feed in the dusk of the evening. A laurel or a holly bush is a favourite place for their repose, the thick and varnished leaves of these trees prevent the radiation of heat from the soil, and they are less affected by the refrigerating influence of a clear sky, so that they afford a warm seat for the woodcock. Woodcocks usually begin to fly north on the first approach of spring, and their flights are generally longer and their rests fewer at this season than in autumn. In the autumn they are driven from the north to the south by the want of food, and they stop wherever they can find it. In the spring there is the influence of another powerful instinct added to this, the sexual feeling. They migrate in pairs, and pass as speedily as possible to the place where they are likely to find food, and raise their young, and of which the old birds have already had the experience of former years. Scarcely any woodcocks winter in any part of Germany. In France there are few found, particularly in the southern provinces, and in Normandy and Britany. The woods of England, especially of the west and south, contain always a certain quantity of woodcocks; but there are far more in the moist soil and warmer climate of Ireland, but in the woods of southern Italy and Greece, near marshes, they are far more abundant, and they extend in quantities over the Greek islands, Asia Minor, and northern Africa.

* * * * *

Woodcocks have been known to settle upon a vessel at sea. Mr. Travers, of Cornwall, records an instance, when at a distance from land unusual for birds to be seen, a bird was discovered hovering over the ship, when first discerned it was high in the air, but gradually descended, and after taking several circuits round, at length alighted on the deck; it was so wearied as to be taken up by the hand. Probably this bird had lost its companions, or, by the force of winds, was driven from the true aërial track. In 1799 a couple of woodcocks, seeking shelter from a gale of wind, alighted upon the Glory man of war, at that time cruising in the Channel.

* * * * *

In their flight the woodcock, like other birds, is attracted by a glare of light, and many instances have occurred, at the Cromer and Eddystone light-houses, of their falling victims to it; but in 1796, at the light-house upon the Hill of Howth, the man who attends whilst trimming his lamps was surprised by a violent stroke against the windows, which broke a pane of plate-glass cast for the place, more than three-eighths of an inch thick; on examining the balcony that surrounds the light he found a woodcock, which had flown with such violence as to break his bill, head, breast-bone, and both wings. The man had often found birds which had killed themselves by flying against the windows, but never before knew the glass to be injured.

* * * * *

Upon the Sussex coast woodcocks have been seen at their first dropping, in considerable numbers in the church-yard, and even in the streets of Rye, but during the night, the usual time of their flying, they removed further inland, and dispersed. At their first coming on that coast, they are commonly poor, as if wasted by their long journey; and are sometimes scurfy, though not so much as before their return in the spring; and it is remarkable, that when the woodcock first arrives, the taste of its flesh is quite different from what it is afterwards. It is very white, short, and tender, and seems to have little or no blood in it; but after it has been in this country a considerable time, the flesh becomes more tough, stringy, and fibrous, like that of domestic fowls. If a woodcock is shot just before his departure, it bleeds plentifully, whereas, at the beginning of winter, scarcely any blood flows from the wounds, by this it seems that in those countries, where they have their summer residence, they have a different nourishment to that they here find. Probably the luxuriant and succulent food which they meet with among us, prepares them for breeding in those countries where they retire with the companions of their choice.

* * * * *

The woodcock feeds indiscriminately upon earth-worms, small beetles, and various kinds of larvæ, and its stomach sometimes contains seeds, which I suspect have been taken up in boring amongst the excrements of cattle; yet the stomach of this bird has something of the gizzard character, though not so much as that of the landrail, which I have found half filled with the seeds of grasses, and even containing corn, mixed with May-bugs, earth-worms, grasshoppers, and caterpillars.

* * * * *

The time of their appearance and disappearance in Sweden coincides exactly with that of their arrival in, and return from, Great Britain. Their autumnal and vernal appearances on the coast of Suffolk have been accurately noticed, they come over sparingly in the first week in October, the greater numbers not arriving until November and December, and always after sun-set. It is the wind and not the moon, that determines the time of their arrival, and it is probable that this should be the case, as they come hither in quest of food, which fails them in the places they leave; if the wind has favoured their flight, their stay on the coast where they drop is very short, if any, but if they had been forced to struggle with an adverse gale, such as a ship can hardly make any way with, they rest a day or two to recover their fatigue. So greatly has their strength been exhausted, that they have been taken by hand in Southwold streets; they do not come gregariously, but separate and dispersed.

* * * * *

In the same manner as woodcocks quit us, they retire from France, Germany, and Italy, making the northern and cold situations their universal summer rendezvous. They visit Burgundy the latter end of October, but continue there only four or five weeks; it being a dry country, they are forced away, for want of sustenance, by the first frost. In the winter they are found in vast plenty as far south as Smyrna and Aleppo; during the same season, in Barbary, where the Africans call them the ass of the partridge. It has been asserted that some have appeared as far south as Egypt, which is the remotest migration to which they can be traced on that side the Eastern world; on the other side they are very common in Japan. The woodcocks that resort into the countries of the Levant, probably come from the deserts of Siberia or Tartary, or the old mountains of Armenia.

* * * * *

In the neighbourhood of Athens, hares and other game are purchased for little more than the value of powder and shot. In winter woodcocks abound, descending, after snow on the mountains, into the plains; and suddenly retiring if the weather continues severe, they enter the gardens of the town in great distress, rather than cross the sea, and are sometimes caught with the hand.

* * * * *

It has been the belief that the woodcock has two broods in the year, because young ones have been found, just hatched, in the month of August; but I think the cause of the supposition is this,—that as woodcock shooting, at flight time, continues till late in the summer, some of the males may have been shot, and a new pair may have been formed later than usual. If in shooting you meet with a brood of woodcocks, and the young ones cannot fly, the old bird takes the young ones separately between her feet, and flies from the dogs with a moaning cry.

* * * * *

The woodcock, as it is well known, is a bird of passage. It usually took its departure from Sweden towards the end of October or beginning of November, and did not return until the approach of spring. Mr. Grieff says, he never knew the woodcock to make his appearance in the vicinity of Stockholm until the 6th of April, which about tallies with the time of their leaving our shores.

Woodcocks were exceedingly scarce in the vicinity of Stfirn, which was also the case in all other parts of Scandinavia that I ever visited. This may be supposed when I mention that I never killed more than three in any one day during my stay in the north of Europe. Indeed I never saw more than seven or eight of those birds in the course of a day’s shooting, and very generally not one-fourth part so many. During the woodcock’s periodical migrations, however, for during the winter not one of them remains in Scandinavia, they are occasionally, as it is said, to be met with in considerable numbers on the western coasts of Sweden and Norway.

As it is from the countries of which I am now speaking our covers are supposed to be supplied with woodcocks, it may seem extraordinary that those birds should there be so scarce as I have just described, and so plentiful in places with us. This, however, is easily explained, when we consider, that on their breeding grounds, extending over the whole of the north of Europe, there is probably a thousand times as much wood as in the United Kingdom; and, consequently, when they come to us, and are concentrated, if I may use the term, into our small covers, they naturally make a very great show.

It is generally said that woodcocks are less plentiful in Great Britain than formerly. This I have heard attributed to the Scandinavians eating the eggs of those birds. If, however, persons who entertain this opinion were to see the almost boundless northern forests, they would probably think with me, that if the whole of the scanty population of that part of the world were to go out for the purpose, they would not be able to explore the hundredth part of the woods in the course of a year, and consequently they could not take or destroy any considerable number of eggs.

* * * * *

In 1796, Mr. Yea, of Swansea, killed one hundred couple of woodcocks in one season. In Ireland, the Earl of Claremont shot half as many in a day, but then it should be premised, that such was the abundance of these birds, as to be sold in some parts (for instance, near Ballyshannon, in the County of Donegal) for one penny each, and the expense of powder and shot.

* * * * *

In the winter of 1797, the gamekeeper of E. M. Pleydell, Esq., of Whatcomb, Dorsetshire, brought him a woodcock which he had caught in a net set for rabbits, alive and unhurt. Mr. P. scratched the date upon a bit of thin brass, bent it round the woodcock’s leg, and let it fly. In December next year, Mr. Pleydell shot this bird with the brass about its leg, in the very same wood where it had been first caught by the keeper.

* * * * *

_Comical Direction._—Hawker says in a country where woodcocks are scarce, be sure to put a marker in a tree.

* * * * *

_Woodcock Fancier._—Mr. Jeremiah Tupman, who died about thirteen years since at Berkeley, caught upon his estate at Lyston, a young male woodcock, which he carefully reared, and having procured a mate for it, they bred in considerable abundance. He was so pleased with his success, that he actually altered his will, which was originally made in favour of a young lady, and left his fortune to the minister at Berkeley, to be principally laid out in the breed of woodcocks, upon the neglect of which the estate was to revert to the family relations; a reversion for which probably the family were not long in expectancy.—_Bewick_—_Davy_—_Grieff_—_Daniel_—_Wild Sports_—_Lloyd, &c._

WOODLAND, _s._ Woods, grounds covered with wood.

WOODLARK, _s._ A melodious sort of wild lark.

WOODMAN, _s._ A sportsman, a hunter.

WOODPECKER, _s._ A bird.

Of these only three or four kinds are found in Great Britain. Their characters are striking, and their manners singular. The bill is large, strong, and fitted for its employment: the end of it is formed like a wedge, with which it pierces the bark of trees, and bores into the wood in which its food is lodged. Its neck is short and thick, and furnished with powerful muscles, which enables it to strike with such force as to be heard at a considerable distance: its tongue is long and taper; at the end of it there is a hard horny substance, which penetrates into the crevices of trees, and extracts the insects and their eggs which are lodged there: the tail consists of ten stiff, sharp-pointed feathers, bent inwards, by which it supports itself on the trunks of trees while in search of food; for this purpose its feet are short and thick, and its toes, which are placed two forward and two backward, are armed with strong hooked claws, by which it clings firmly, and creeps up and down in all directions.—_Bewick._

WOODPIGEON, _s._ A wild pigeon; one that builds in trees.

This species weighs about twenty ounces; length eighteen inches. The bill yellowish; irides light yellow; the head, coverts of the wings, and scapulars are of a deep bluish ash colour; the neck and breast vinaceous, beautifully glossed with green and copper colour, changeable in different lights; on each side the neck is a large patch of glossy white, which almost joins behind; the back and tail ash colour, the latter black at the end; vent and thighs white, tinged with ash colour; the bastard wing almost black, behind which a few of the coverts are white, forming a line down to the greater quills, which are dusky, edged with white; the legs are feathered much below the knee, which, with the feet, are of a purplish red. There is little or no distinction in the plumage of the sexes; but the female is not quite so large.

WOODWARD, _s. obs._ A forester.

A subject who has lived within a forest, according to usage, ought to have a woodward; and if he does not appear at the justice seat, the wood shall be seized into the king’s hands, till he makes fine and replevy it; and if he do not replevy it within a year, it shall remain in the king’s hands for ever.

WOOL, _s._ The fleece of sheep, that which is woven into cloth; any
short thick hair.

WOOLLY, _a._ Consisting of wool; clothed with wool; resembling wool.

WORM, _s._ A small harmless serpent that lives in the earth; a
poisonous serpent; animal bred in the body; the animal that
spins silk; grubs that gnaw wood and furniture; anything
vermiculated or turned round; anything spiral; a favourite bait
in angling.

When the day is dark or lowering, and a gentle whistling wind plays on the water, or a fine mizzling rain falls without violence; likewise when trout leap out of the water, and pike shoot after other fishes; and also when a sudden shower has mudded and raised the water, if the angler tries on the sides of the stream at the ground, with brandling, gilt tail, or red worm, well scoured, he will have diversion.

_The ash grub or bank-worm_ is plump, milk white, and bent round from head to tail, with a red head, resembling a young humble bee, and is exceedingly tender; it is found under the bark of oak, ash, birch, or alder, especially if they lie a year after they are felled; it is also met with in the body of a rotten alder, when broken in pieces, but care must be observed in breaking the tree, that the worm is not crushed; it is sometimes found under the bark of an old decayed stump of a tree. It is best kept in bran, and will by that means be made tougher; but at the best they are so tender, that great caution must be observed in their use; the hook, which must be armed with a bristle to prevent its slipping down, should be introduced under its head, and guided down the middle of the belly, without suffering it to break the skin in its passage (for if it does, water and milk will issue from the wound, until nothing but the skin remains, when the bent of the hook will appear black through it), until the point of the hook comes so low that the head of the grub may rest on the bristle that projects to hold it; it will be thus defended from slipping off by its own exertions, nor will the force of the stream or quick pulling it out of the water, strip it off.

_The brandling worm_ is streaked from head to tail in alternate red and yellow circles; is dark at the head; becomes gradually paler towards the tail. Brandlings are found in old dunghills which consist of hogs’ and horses’ dung and rotten earth; also in old thatch and dung; in grass mown from garden walks after it has lain some time: but those which are found in tanners’ bark, after being used and laid by until quite rotten, are the best, and may generally be used without any scouring. When brandlings are kept in mosses like the lob-worm, they should be fed by dropping a little cream, about a spoonful a day, upon the moss; it will prevent their swelling at the knot near their middle, which, when it takes place, usually kills them. With some anglers it is a rule not to use these worms and the gilt tail until they have been in moss two days, nor after they have continued in it more than ten.

The short _white worms_ or _bobs_ are of two sorts: the one found in mellow, heathy, sandy soils, and is easily gathered by following the plough in autumn, when such ground is first broken up from grazing; also by digging one spot deep in the above described lands sufficient may be got. Those of this class are called the earth bob, white grub, or white bait, and are as big again as a gentle; have a pale red head, very soft all over, are yellowish at the tail, and their bodies when taken in some degree resemble the colour of the earth where found in, but when scoured are of a pale white. They are an excellent winter bait, and to preserve them they should be put into a large earthen pot with some of its own earth, with dryish moss at the top, and set in a warm place.

Dunghill red worms are small and knotted, of a bright red, and are to be found almost in every heap of horsedung that has much straw rotted in it. Cowdung red worms are found in the fields, and in nearly dry flakes of dung; their heads are shining dark brown, with flat tails, are good baits, and may occasionally be used when taken, but are best scoured and preserved, like other worms.

The dock or flag-worm is of the colour of a gentle, when scoured, but is longer and slenderer in his make, with rows of feet down his belly, and a red head. They are found by pulling up the flags growing round an old pond or pit, shaking the roots in the water, and when free from dirt, amongst the fibres that spread from the roots, will be seen little husks of a reddish or yellowish colour; these must be opened very cautiously with a pin, and the worm either used immediately, or dropt into some bran to carry them, where they may be preserved in the same manner as the cad-bait; they sometimes insinuate themselves into the body of the round stalk of the flag.

The long dock-worms are of a fine pale red, without knots; are chiefly found in moist places, near dock-roots, and are best taken by shaking the earth with a dung-fork. They are excellent baits, especially for carp and tench. In the hollow parts near the roots of the largest sort of sedges, may be found a large black-headed grub, about an inch long, and which is not to be found in any other place; it is a famous bait for pond-fishing, though extremely tender; but by putting them into boiling milk for about two minutes, the morning you mean to use them, they will be rendered tougher.

Gilt-tails are paler and larger than the last-mentioned worms; are knotted like them, are of a pale yellow, especially towards the tail.

The marsh-worms are middle-sized and knotted; are of a bluish cast and tender; are to be found in the rich banks of rivers, and in marshy ground, wherein they are usually got by treading the ground when it is moist, much backwards and forwards, or in circles, with both feet close together; they require more scouring in moss than most other worms, at least fifteen days, but are very lively good baits.

White or marl worms are found chiefly in marl or clay land by following the plough, and also in turnip fields, where the soil is of a stiffish quality; the head is very small, and of a pale red; they are larger than the brandling, and naturally tough, are a good bait, especially in muddy water; may be preserved in some of their own earth, keeping it properly damp; with some moss at top, and when scoured are of a pale white.

The red worm is found in all loamy soils; may be collected by following a plough, turning up garden soil, and under boards, bricks, slates, tiles, stones, &c. that have lain undisturbed for any time: these four worms may be preserved together in one pot, and when the brandling or others are meant to be used, let the angler, the evening before, pick them out by themselves, and put them into a bag, with moss moistened with sweet thinnish cream, and they will appear more bright and tempting to the fish.

The tag-tail is a worm of a pale flesh-colour, with a yellow tag, almost half an inch long: it is found in marled land or meadows, after a shower, or in the morning, in calm and not cold weather in March and April. In discoloured water by rain, it is considered a fatal bait for trout. They will not endure long scouring.

A three-prong dung-fork thrust into the ground, and continually moving it, will force all the worms within a certain distance to come instantly out of their holes; supposing, from the shaking of the earth, it is the mole’s heaving to come at them.

Get a parcel of cow or horse-hair, and cut it five or six inches long, into a pan; throw the worms upon it, and in a couple of hours they will have cleared themselves from the chief of their dirt; take them from amongst the hair, observing that none of it sticks to them, and selecting out the dead or wounded worms; clean the pan from the hair and filth, and put the worms into it, covering them with garden mould, about an inch thick: they will keep a very long time in this manner, moistening it once a day with new milk, and changing it every month, to prevent the growth of young worms, which would occasion the death and decay of the old.

Amongst the old recipes for scouring worms, the putting them into a powder got from a dead man’s skull, by beating it to atoms, was deemed super-excellent.

When worms are wanted for immediate use, and no provision has been made, the way to scour them quickly, is, if lob-worms, to put them all night in water; brandlings must not remain above one hour in it, and both sorts must be then put with fennel into the angler’s worm-bag.

* * * * *

Worms of different kinds inhabit the intestines; but except when they exist in very great numbers, they are not so hurtful as is generally supposed, although the groom or carter may trace to them hidebound, and cough, and loss of appetite, and gripes, and megrims, and a variety of other ailments. Of the origin or mode of propagation of these parasitical animals we will say nothing; neither writers on medicine, nor even on natural history, have given us any satisfactory account of the matter.

The long white worm (_lumbricus teres_) much resembling the common earth-worm, and, being from six to ten inches long, inhabits the small intestines. It is a formidable looking animal, and if there are many of them, they may consume more than can be spared of the nutritive part of the food, or the mucus of the bowels; and we think that we have seen a tight skin, and rough coat, and tucked up belly, connected with their presence. They have then, however, been voided in large quantities, and when they are not thus voided, we should be disposed to trace these appearances to other causes. A dose of physic will sometimes bring away almost incredible quantities of them. Calomel is frequently given as a vermifuge. The seldomer this drug is administered to the horse the better. It is the principal ingredient in some quack medicines for the expulsion of worms in the human subject, and thence, perhaps, it came to be used for the horse; but in him we believe it to be inert as a vermifuge, or only useful as quickening the operation of the aloes. When the horse can be spared, a strong dose of physic is an excellent vermifuge, so far as the long round worm is concerned; but perhaps a better medicine, and not interfering with either the feeding or work of the horse, is two drachms of emetic tartar, with a scruple of ginger, made into a ball, with linseed meal and treacle, and given every morning half an hour before the horse is fed.