196 The Irish Natioalist. [August, 



Having thus dwelt for some length on the histor}- of the 

 Ruff as a visitor to Ireland, I will now briefly touch upon its 

 general morphological characters. 



In no group of birds are the external sexual differences so 

 marked. In the case of most waders the males and females 

 differ but little in size, and still less in their plumage. The 

 Ruff stands out in marked contrast to other waders in this 

 respect. 



Before I point out the differences to be noted between the 

 male and female, it should be remembered that in many other 

 respects, both in structure and habits of life^ the Ruff resembles 

 such well-known birds as the Redshank, Godwit, Sandpiper, 

 Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Snipe, &c., &c. To these it claims 

 close affinities, and is thus included not only in the same large 

 order, Limicolcc, but even in the same family of ScolopacidcB. 

 The generic name of Jllachctes has onl}' been given to the 

 Ruff b}' Cuvier^ on account of its pugnacious habits, w4th some 

 minor structural differences, and not because it differs to any 

 marked degree from the rest of the familj- ScolopacidcB ; 

 indeed, the great sj'stematist, Linnaeus, included the Ruff in 

 the genus Triiiga!^ It therefore seems extraordinary how 

 this bird has come to differ so much from, other "w^aders" in 

 special structural characters (mainly sexual) and in habits of 

 life. 



Sexual differences in size and eolo7ir. — In autumn the imma- 

 ture plumage of the male and female is practically identical. 

 Likewise in winter both sexes are similarly attired.^ Yet the 

 difference in size between the two sexes is so apparent that 

 when they are compared there is no difficulty in determining 

 them. The average-sized male is fully one-third larger than 

 the average-sized female. In spring and early summer the 

 male alters his plumage very much, assuming at that time of 

 year his characteristic " frill," which serves to distinguish him. 

 This is his nuptial plumage, which I wall refer to again later 



■■ Regne Animal, i., p. 490 (1817). 



2 Tringa pugjiax, Linnaeus. Syst. NaL, Ed. 12, i., p. 247 (1766). 



3 In the " Descent of Man," p. 390, Darwin stated that the sexes 

 differ in winter pUimage. If they do the difference is practically 

 imperceptible. 



