64 BRITAIN^S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 



for the safety of its nest, it uses every device to lure the 

 intruder from the neighbourhood. When disturbed and 

 suspicious, it keeps flying about from place to place in 

 a restless manner, now running along the shingle, now 

 perching for an instant on a rail or bough. When 

 wounded, it sometimes displays its powers of swimming, 

 and in this it shows considerable proficiency. Using both 

 feet and wings, it can even swim for some little distance 

 under water. 



The often-repeated note is a low, plaintive whistle, but 

 this Sandpiper has also a special spring-song of somewhat 

 similar nature to the Redshank's. 



THE RUFF 



(Machetes pugnax). 



This interesting species is a migrational visitor to the 

 British Isles, chiefly to the east coast of Great Britain ; 

 it still breeds very sparingly in the marshes of the 

 east of England, where formerly it was much commoner. 

 Drainage and collecting have been its foes ; but protection 

 is now combating the latter. In the breeding season the 

 male has the curious shield-like ornament from which it 

 derives its name, the female being termed ' the Reeve.' 

 The 'ruff"' is composed of feathers very variable in colour, 

 no two birds being exactly alike. Where common enough, 

 the Ruff" is polygamous, and early in the season the males 

 ' hill ' — that is, collect on little mounds, and fight furiously 

 but veiy harmlessly ! They appear to take no share 

 in the nesting duties. The nesting-habits of the species 

 are othenvise of the usual Wader character ; the eggs 

 are grayish green with reddish spots and blotches. 



