2o6 The Irish Naturalist. [August, 



The rich and varied coloration of the nuptial plumage 

 may in part be accounted for in yet another way. Headley^ 

 points out that pigments in animals are waste products derived 

 from the food. In the breeding season these are discharged 

 more freely than at other times of the year, owing to increased 

 katabolism- of the organism. This is seen by the intensi- 

 fying of the colours of the feathers, in the spring, of such birds 

 ivhich neither actually change coloicr or groiv 7iew feathers. 



Now, granting that the pugnacious Ruff is a highly-strung, 

 excitable creature, especially in the breeding season, it may be 

 that the katabolic changes which then take place are, perhaps 

 of greater extent than what occur in other birds, and so with 

 a copious discharge of waste pigment, not only rich, but 

 even varied, colours Avould be produced. 



Habits of Life. — So much has been written upon this part 

 of the subject that I do not intend to enter upon it. Many 

 people are aware of the eccentric conduct of the Ruff during 

 the breeding season. I have already incidentally referred to the 

 polygamous and pugnacious habits of the males ; but a fuller 

 and more interesting account of the combats for the females 

 with descriptions of the battle-fields may be found in the 

 standard works of Yarrell, Saunders, Thompson, Watters, 

 Seebohm, &c. The observations of Cordeaux^ are well 

 worthy of perusal. He points out a thing which should be 

 of considerable importance to taxidermists, namel}^, that, con- 

 sidering the length of the legs, Ruffs are by no means high 

 standing. They bend the tibio-tarsal joint to a great extent, 

 and carry the body horizontally. I must say that I agree with 

 these observations, and I even noted the same attitude 

 assumed by Ruffs in captivity. How often do we see Ruffs 

 stuffed in an erect standing position, set up like a pouter 

 pigeon, and looking most unnatural. 



I have never heard the Ruff make any noise, and this, 

 together with the low attitude which it assumes, sometimes 

 makes it a little difficult to identify this bird on the mud-slob, 

 as in the distance it may be mistaken for a plover. The Ruff 



^ vStructure and Life of Birds, 1S95, p. 315. 



2 Constitutional changes of a destructive character. 



3 The Ruff and Reeve in Lincolnshire, Zoologist. 1890 (pp. 204-209). 



