THE EARLY WOODCOCK.
Another migrant has surprised southern observers. Wood- cock were seen a very little way North of London on October the first. Few birds are less regular in their migration, or depend more obviously on weather ; and the surprise of seeing a woodcock at the same time as a number of swallows and martins and turtle doves is the greater since we have been enjoying all the sweets of summer. In the same parish where woodcock appeared, appeared also and about the same date several corncrake, a very rare bird nowadays in the locality. Are these appearances in any way prophetic ? But why should our summer visitors leave late and our winter visitors appear early. It may be that all the appearances are due to an abnormally prolific season. Some birds had three broods, and the young of all flourished. We enter autumn with a quite unusual population of birds and, perhaps, of some mammals too. May the growth of protection maintain its increase.
W. BEAU( Tnomes.
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