23^ SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE. 



lar hitherto his visits to their favourite haunts, 

 yet his expeditions will have been comparatively 

 fruitless and unsatisfactory until now, and the 

 first intimation of the arrival of the strangers 

 will probably be the appearance on some muddy 

 bank, at ebb-tide, of a little party of confiding 

 godwits, all in the full breeding plumage, when 

 perhaps not a single bird of the same species had 

 occurred on any previous day during the season 

 in the same state of feather. 



Ruff, Machetes pugnax. A scarce bird in 

 Sussex, except on poulterers' stalls. I never 

 knew an adult male killed here during the sum- 

 mer, but have met with it at Pagham in the 

 winter, when the plumage resembled that of the 

 female, or reeve — the ornamental raff havimx 



' CD 



then disappeared. One of the latter was cap- 

 tured in a singular manner a few years ago near 

 Hove. It flew into a birdcatcher's net, appa- 

 rently attracted by the decoy lark. It was sent 

 alive to Mr. Swaysland, of Brighton. 



In a bird of the year, the fore part of the neck 

 and breast is of a reddish grey, or buff colour, 

 and in this state of plumage, it is sometimes 

 mistaken for that rare bird, the buff- breasted 

 sandpiper, by those who have never seen an 

 example of the latter species. Mr. Yarrell has 

 clearly pointed out the distinctions. 



