On the Rujj.



141



smile upon my sardine-tins and catcliing-boxes, may possibly

find in wliat I had written a point worth noting or a suggestion

worthy to be carried out in anticipation of the coining Spring.



THE RUFF.


Machetes pugnax.


By G. C. Porter.


It would be difficult to find a more interesting and hardy

bird than the above named wader. At first sight it appears a

bird totally unsuited to captivity', but such is by no means the

case, as better acquaintance with it proves.


The Ruff is almost universally distributed, many breeding

in the Arctic Regions, while others have been found in different

parts of India, Asia and America, but I am not sure whether it

has been found in Australia. This bird belongs to the Snipe

family, and is a summer visitor to this country, arriving about

the end of March, when it resorts to the Fens to breed. Each

Ruff takes from three to five Reeves, as the hens are called, and

at this period guards them very' jealously', fighting furiously with

any' rival who may be in the vicinity'. This bird, contrary, I believe,

to the habits of almost all other waders, is polygamous, and this

is sufficient to account for its pugnacity'. This was the time

when the fowler used to net them, the attention of the birds

being so occupied in fighting one another that they r did not

notice his approach, and so fell easy' victims. The draining of

the Fens has made the Ruff very scarce in this country', but one

has been shot during the last few weeks on the Irrigation Farm

here at Bedford, and it still remains a common bird on the

Continent, especially' in Holland. Considerable numbers are

still imported to Eeadenhall Market. I11 the Spring the Ruff

puts on the breeding plumage for which he is so well known.

The face is ornamented with light yellow skin, ears ornamented

with blue tufts, while round his neck spreads the beautiful ruff

shining—in the case of my bird—with blue and green tints. As

the summer advances, however, the feathers begin to drop oft,



