COMMON RUFF. 173 



are long, of moderate breadth, pointed ; the primaries stiff, 

 tapering', the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; the 

 inner secondaries tapering and elongated. The tail is rather 

 short, of twelve feathers, of which the four middle are con- 

 siderably longer. 



The bill is brown ; the iris hazel ; the feet greenish- 

 yellow ; the claws black. The throat and fore-neck are 

 white, its lower part and a portion of the breast pale reddish- 

 brown, spotted with dark brown ; the rest of the lower parts 

 white. The upper parts are variegated with brownish-black 

 and light red ; the feathers having a large patch of the 

 former colour, with a margin of the latter ; on the hind part 

 of the back they are greyish-brown, with reddish margins. 

 The smaller wing-coverts are brownish-grey, with their 

 central part dusky ; the primary qnills and their coverts 

 dark brown, with the shafts whitish ; the secondary quills 

 and coverts greyish-brown, with a greenish gloss, and nar- 

 rowly margined with whitish. The upper tail-coverts are 

 brownish-grey, margined with paler, and having a dusky 

 mark near the end; the tail-feathers brownish-grey, with 

 the shafts whitish ; the four middle feathers with dusky 

 markings toward the end. 



Length to end of tail 12 inches ; extent of wings 25 ; 

 wing from flexure 1j ; tail 3 ; bill along the ridge 1-^, along 

 the edge of loAver mandible ljV; bare part of tibia 1-}V; 

 tarsus 2 ; first toe -fir, its claw -jV ; second toe -[4, its claw r T V ; 

 third toe 1^, its claw -f^; fourth toe -jV, its claw , 3 2 . 



Female in Winter. — The female resembles the male, 

 but has the dark tints paler, and the lower parts tinged with 

 grey. The bill is black ; the feet dusky grey. 



Variations. — The males vary considerably in colour 

 even in winter ; but this is chiefly owing to the intermixture 

 of feathers belonging to the summer plumage. After the 

 month of April, the greatest diversity prevails. 



Change of Plumage. — The quills, larger coverts, and 

 tail-feathers are changed in autumn ; but the other feathers 



