SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNIPE FAMILY — MACHETES. 



293 



Tringa equestris, Lath. Ind. Oni. XL 1790, 730. 



Tringa grenovicensis, Lath. t.c. 731. 



Tringa variegata. Bkunn. Oni. Bor. 54. 



Tringa jilaniccps and T. alticeps, Brehm, Vog. Deiitschl. 



Ruff, Yakr. Brit. B. ed. 2, II. 645, fig. ; ed. 3, II. 692, fig. ; et AucT. 



Hab. The Palsearctic Re.tjion, straying to Eastern North America (numerous records). 



Sp. Char. Above, varied with bhick, butt", and gray, the scapulars and tertials exhibiting these 

 colors in oblique bands. Beneath, white, varied on the jugulum and throat. Primaries dark 

 brown, with greenish reflection above ; the inner webs finely mottled toward the base. Outer 

 three tail-feathers plain, the remainder transversely barred. Bill brown ; sides of rump white ; 



Male. 



legs yellow. Male in spring dress with the feathers of the neck greatly developed into a ruff ; the 

 face covered with reddish papillae. Adult male : Colors indeterminate, probably no two specimens 

 being exactly alike. As a rule, the "cape" and "ruif" are differently colored ; thus, of the five 

 examples before us, the cape and ruif are colored in the following manner : — Cape glossy black, 

 buffy white, yellowish ochraceous. Ruff, chestnut-rufous, glossy black streaked with rufous, mot- 

 tled ferruginous, ochraceous buff, streaked Iniffy white, and pied with black and pure white. 

 Adult female: No ruff; head completely feathered. Plumage transversely banded with black, and 



Female. 



buff, white, or ferruginous ; the abdomen and crissum usually immaculate wbite. Young : Back 

 and scapx;lars brownish black, feathers bordered with bufl' or ochraceous ; crown ochraceous, 

 streaked with black. Lower parts entirely immaculate, white posteriorly, buffy anteriorly. 



Length, about 10.00 inches; wing, 6.40 ; tail, 2.60 ; bill, 1.25 ; tarsus, 1.75 ; middle toe and 

 claw, 1.40. 



The Rufl' has been so frequently killed in the Eastern United States as to entitle it to a place 

 among North American birds, although it cannot be said really to belong to our fauna. It is a 

 very curious species, conspicuous for the combats among the males during the breeding-season. 



