SCOLOPACID^. 193 



For a notice of the only occurrence of the Bar- 

 tailed Godwit in Buckinghamshire with which I am 

 acquainted, I am indebted to the Rev. Bryant Burgess, 

 of Latimer, who kindly wrote me word that in the first 

 week of May, 1846, a pair of these birds were observed 

 to frequent a field on the farm of Mr. Biggs, in the 

 parish of Slapton. The hen bird was shot by Mr. 

 Biggs, but unfortunately he neglected to skin it, and 

 it became putrid. When in this state it was examined 

 by Mr, Burgess, who found it to be in an intermediate 

 state of plumage, having nearly acquired the red 

 breast which is peculiar to this species in summer. 

 Both birds were very tame, and suffered a near 

 approach without manifesting any alarm. Unfortu- 

 nately, this fearlessness proved fatal to one of them. 



Ruff — female Reeve — {Machetes piignax). * The 

 trade of catching Ruffs,' says Montagu,* * is confined 

 to a very few persons, which, at present, scarcely 

 repays their trouble and 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 table ; and they sedu- 

 lously conceal the abode of the fowlers, so much 

 that by no art could we obtain from any where 

 they resided ; and in order to deceive us, after 

 evading our entreaties, gave us instructions that led 

 us in quite a contrary direction. The reason of all 



* 'Dictionary of British Birds,' p. 275. 

 O 



