54 BULLETIN 146, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Voice. — The ruff is an extremely silent bird. One may live among 

 them in the Dutch polders for weeks together in the spring, and 

 never hear a sound from them, except a very low guttural or quacking 

 note from a reeve when disturbed from a family of young. Naumann 

 (1887) however describes a note kack, kack, kick, kack, which is 

 probably the same as that which Slater writes as wick, repeated 

 rapidly several times. Unless much persecuted it is confiding in its 

 habits and pays little attention to the presence of men. 



Enemies. — In England its extermination was primarily due to the 

 reckless way in which the breeding stock was netted not only in 

 autumn but also on arrival in spring on the "hilling" grounds, in 

 order to be fattened for the table. Montagu's account of the state of 

 things in his day has been quoted at length in many books on British 

 birds, so that it is not necessary to repeat it here. As Pennant spoke 

 of 40 or 50 dozen birds being taken by a single fowler in a season it 

 is not surprising that the stock was rapidly reduced to so low a level 

 that in spite of belated efforts to protect the birds and their eggs, it 

 has now practically disappeared. On the continent^ where it is still 

 locally common it has to contend against other avian enemies, more 

 especially the harriers {Circus)., but also the goshawk, peregrine, and 

 to some extent gulls and crows. 



Fall. — The distinctive plumes of the male are shed in June and in 

 July the autumn plumage is assumed even in the extreme north. 

 The males begin to disappear from their breeding haunts in central 

 Europe in late July and early August, while the females are said to 

 leave in September. 



Winter. — In their winter quarters ruffs are generally sociable and 

 are to be met with in small flocks, which show a preference to fresh 

 water marshes rather than the sea coast. In India and the Sudan 

 the flooded fields are a great attraction and the staple food consists 

 of grain. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. — Formerly at many places in England from 

 Northumberland southward, lingering until recently in Norfolk. 

 Belgium, locally in North France, Holland, Denmark, North Ger- 

 many, and Bavaria (Jiickel). Hungary, Czechoslovalria, the Baltic 

 Republics, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia north to Kolguev, 

 Waigatz, and Dolgoi and south to Bessarabia and Orenburg. In 

 Asia, Siberia north to T2° on the Yenisei and east to the Lena and 

 Kolj^ma valleys, south to Dauria, Turgai and Uralsk. 



Winter range. — From Europe through Africa south to Cape 

 Province, but scarce on passage in the Atlantic Islands. Asia, south to 

 India, Ceylon (scarce), Burma, also recorded from China and Japan, 

 Borneo (Labuan), etc. 



