45* RUFF. Class II. 



nor do they recover it till after their return to the 

 fens the fpring following. It is then they regain 

 that ornament, and at the fame time a fet of fmall 

 pear fhaped yellow pimples break out in great 

 numbers on their face above the bill. 



The Stags or male birds of the firft year want 

 thefe marks, and have fometimes been miftaken 

 for a new fpecies of tfringa -, but they may be 

 eafily known by the colors of the coverts of the 

 wings, and the middle feathers of the tail. 



The older the birds are, the more numerous 

 the pimples, and the fuller and longer the ruffs. 



The length of the male to the tip of the tail 

 is one foot, the breadth two ; of the Reeve ten in- 

 ches, the breadth nineteen: the weight of the former 

 when juft taken is feven ounces and a half; of the 

 latter only four. 



The Reeves never change their colors, which 

 are pale brown : the back fpotted with black, (light- 

 ly edged with white : the tail brown •, the middle 

 feathers fpotted with black : the bread and belly 

 white : the legs of a pale-dull yellow. 



Thefe birds appear in the fens in the earlieft 

 fpring, and difappear about Michaelmas,, The 

 Reeves lay four eo-gs in a tuft of srafs, the firft 

 week in May; and fit about a month. The eggs 

 are white, marked with large rufly fpots. Fowlers 

 avoid in general the taking of the females, not 

 only becaufe they are fmaller than the males ; but 

 that they may be left to breed. 



Soon 



