Class II. R U F F. 459 



Soon after their arrival, the male3 begin to bill, 

 that is to collect on fome dry bank near a fplafh of 

 water, in expectation of the females, who refort to 

 them. 



Each male keeps poffcffion of a fmall piece of 

 ground, which it runs round till the grafs is worn 

 quite away, and nothing but a naked circle is left. 

 When a female lights, the ruffs immediately fall 

 to fighting. I find a vulgar error, that ruffs mud 

 be fed in the dark leaft they mould deftroy each 

 other by fighting on admiflion of light. The truth 

 is, every bird takes its ftand in the room as it 

 would in the open fen. If another invades its circle, 

 an attack is made, and a battle enfues. They 

 make ufe of the fame action in fighting as a cock, 

 place their bills to the ground and fpread their 

 ruffs. I have fet a whole room full a fighting by 

 making them move their ftations; and after quitting 

 the place, by peeping through a crevice, feen them 

 refume their circles and grow pacific. 



When a fowler difcovers one of thofe bills, he 

 places his net over night, which is of the fame kind 

 as thofe that are called clap or day nets, only it is 

 generally fingle, and is about fourteen yards long 

 and four broad. 



The fowler reforts to his (land at day break, 

 at the diftance of one, tv/o, three, or four hun- 

 dred yards from the nets, according to the time of 

 the feafon ; for the later it is, the fhyer the birds 

 grow. He then makes his firfl: pull, taking fuch 



birds 



