CEYLON RAILS, WADERS, GULLS, AND TERNS. 227 
is a patch of streaky brown on the lores at the base of the 
lower mandible. The wing lining and axillaries are barred 
with brown. 
Summer: The whole head and neck are streaked with 
blackish-brown ; the feathers of the back and scapulars have 
conspicuous broad black centres ; the foreneck and sides of 
the breast are spotted with dark brown, a few spots extending 
to the middle of the breast. 
Bill olive-brown, darker at the tip and slightly curved 
upwards ; iris brown ; legs and feet yellowish-green. 
Length 14; wing 7°5; tail3°25; tarsus 2-5; billfrom gape2°5. 
Distribution —Widely distributed round the coast, com- 
monest in the north and east. Occurs throughout the Indian 
Empire. Breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia, wintering 
from Southern Asia to China and Australia. 
Habits —Keeps chiefly to tidal flats, the shores of lagoons, 
and. wet fields near the sea, but I have seen it in paddy fields 
30 miles inland in the south of the Island. It is never very 
numerous. A good many immature birds remain during the 
south-west monsoon. 
PAVONCELLA PUGNAX (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 268). 
MACHETES PUGNAX (Legge, p. 873). 
The Ruff and Reeve. 
Description —Winter : Both sexes—forehead, lores, and 
cheeks whitish speckled with dusky brown ; sides of head 
and neck speckled with brown ; the upper parts to the tail 
ashy-brown, with dusky brown centres and whitish fringes 
to the feathers; greater wing coverts tipped with white ; 
primary coverts and wing quills dark gray-brown, the secon- 
daries with white tips. The outermost upper tail coverts 
are white. The lower parts are white with a varying amount 
of gray or brown diffused over the foreneck and wpper breast. 
In summer the males grow yellow tubercles on the face, 
develop enormous ruffs, and assume a fancy dress on the head, 
breast, and ruff. The colours may be any combination of 
white, glossy metallic black, chestnut, or orange-buff. The 
back, scapulars and inner wing coverts are sprinkled with hues 
8 6(9)16 
