798 RUFF 



RUFF, so called from the very beautiful and remarkable frill of 

 elongated feathers that, just before the breeding -season, grow 

 thickly round the neck of the male,^ who is considerably larger 

 than the female, known as the Reeve. In many respects this 

 species, the Tringa pugnax of Linnaeus and the Machetes pugnax of 

 the majority of modern ornithologists, is one of the most singular 

 in existence, and yet its singularities have been very ill appreciated 

 by zoological writers in general.- These singularities would require 

 almost a volume to describe properly. The best account of them 

 is unquestionably that given in 1813 by Montagu {Suppl. Orn. 

 Did.), who seems to have been particularly struck by the extra- 

 ordinary peculiarities of the species, and, to investigate them, 

 expressly visited the fens of Lincolnshire, possibly excited thereto by 

 the example of Pennant, whose information, personally collected there 

 in 1769, was of a kind to provoke further enquiry, while Daniel 

 {Rural Sports, iii. p. 234) had added some other particulars, and 

 subsequently Graves {Brit. Orn. iii.) in 1816 repeated in the same 

 district the experience of his predecessors. Since that time the 

 great changes produced by the drainage of the fen-country have 

 banished this species from nearly the whole of it, so that Lubbock 

 {Fauna Norf. pp. 68-73; ed. 2, Southwell, pp. 102, 103) and 

 Stevenson {Birds Norf. ii. pp. 261-271) can alone be cited as 

 modern Avitnesses of its habits in England, while the trade of 

 netting or snaring RufFs and fattening them for the table has for 

 many years ceased.^ 



The cock-bird, when out of his nuptial attire, or, to use the 

 fenman's expression, when he has not "his show on," and the hen 

 at all seasons, offer no very remarkable deviation from ordinary 



^ Tliis " ruff" has been compared to that of Elizabethan or Jacobean costume, 

 but it is essentially different, since that was open in front and widest and most 

 projecting behind, whereas the bird's decorative apparel is most developed in 

 front and at the sides and scarcely exists behind. It seems to be at present 

 unknown whether the bird was named from the frill, or the frill from the bird. 

 In the latter case the name should possibly be spelt Kough (c/. "rough-footed" 

 as applied to Fowls with feathered legs), as in 1666 Merrett [Pinax, p. 182) 

 had it. 



2 Mr. Darwin, though frequently citing [Descent of ilan and Sexual Selection, 

 i. pp. 270, 306 ; ii. pp. 41, 42, 48, 81, 84, 100, 111) the Ruff as a mtness in various 

 capacities, most unfortunately seems never to have had its peculiarities presented 

 to him in such a form that he could fully perceive their bearings. Though the 

 significance of the lesson that the Rulf may teach was hardly conceivable before 

 he began to write, the fact is not the less to be regretted that he never elucidated 

 its importance, not only in regard to " Sexual Selection," but more especially 

 ■with respect to " Polymorphism." 



^ I can well recollect considerable numbers, both alive and dead, being 

 annually imported from Holland ; but I believe that this practice is now given 



iUp. 



