428 scolopacidj:. 



obtained. He found that the birds were much more scarce 

 than they had been before a large tract of the fens was 

 drained and enclosed, and would jirobably, as agriculture 

 increased, be entirely driven from the island. A few were 

 still found about Crowland, but the north fen near Spalding 

 and the east and west fens between Boston and Spilsby, 

 were the only parts that appear to produce them with cer- 

 tainty, but by no means plentifully. He continues : — " The 

 trade of catching Ruffs is confined to a very few persons, 

 and scarcely repays their trouble and the expense of nets. 

 These people live in obscure places on the verge of the fens, 

 and are found out with difficulty, for few, if any, birds are 

 ever bought but by those who make a trade of fattening 

 them for the table. Mr. Towns, the noted feeder at Spalding, 

 assures us his family had been a hundred years in the 

 trade ; that they had supplied George the Second and many 

 noble families in the kingdom. He undertook, at the desire 

 of the late Marquis of Townshend, when that nobleman was 

 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to take some Ruffs to that 

 country, and actually set off with twenty- seven dozen from 

 Lincolnshire, left seven dozen at the Duke of Devonshire's 

 at Chatsworth, continued his route across the kingdom to 

 Holyhead, and -delivered seventeen dozen alive in Dublin, 

 having lost only three dozen in so long a journey, confined 

 and greatly crowded as they were in baskets, which were 

 carried upon two horses. During our stay at Spalding we 

 were shown into a room where there were about seven dozen 

 males and a dozen females, and of the former there were not 

 two alike. Our intrusion to choose some birds drove them 

 from their stands, and, compelling some to trespass upon 

 the premises of others, produced many battles. It is a 

 remarkable character of these birds that they feed most 

 greedily the moment they are taken ; a basin of bread and 

 milk, or boiled wheat, placed before them is instantly con- 

 tended for, and so pugnacious is their disposition, that they 

 would starve in the midst of plenty, if several dishes of food 

 were not placed amongst them, at a distance from each 

 other. Their actions in fighting are very similar to those 



