SCOLOPA CIDJE—SA ND PIPERS. 



249 



Ruff: Machetes ptignax (Female, Reeve). 



Not uncommon on our coast as a passing migrant in spring and 

 autumn. Doubtless it once bred commonly in Essex, but I am not 

 aware of more than one actual record of its having done so. 



In the Parsons Collection are two Reeves shot out of a small party in the 

 Lower Fleet, New England, on May 17th, 1833 ; also a young Ruff in autumn 

 plumage, shot on Ringwood Saltings, Foulness Island, on Sept. 27th, 1838. 

 Parsons seems to have met with it commonly in summer in his time, as he 

 writes (13. ii. 199) : "The variety [of plumage] in summer is almost infinite 

 * * * The beginning of May will be found the best time for getting the males in 

 perfection." Mr.' J. F. T. Wiseman informs me that he shot a pair by a double 

 shot on the Little Wakering Marshes in 1872. One was shot on some marshes 

 in South Essex in Sept,, 1887. Round Harwich, "a few are usually seen in the 

 autumn." A Reeve was shot out of a flock of seven on the Ramsey Marshes on 

 June i6th, 1888,* and two were seen and one shot in 1889 (Kerry). Mr. Hope 

 has a male shot on Colne Beach in the spring of 1874, '"^^ another shot on 

 Rainham Marshes on Aug. 17th, 1888. A young Reeve was shot on Nov. 6th, 

 1888, near Paglesham (Wiseman). 



The Rev. J. C. Atkinson, in reply to my enquiry whether he ever in his early 

 days heard of the breeding of this bird in Essex, writes : 



" Yes, I did hear of the Ruff breeding on the Tollesbury Marshes, and not 

 far from the land end of Shingle Hill. But I did not know it of my own know- 

 ledge. My reminiscence is that it had been known to breed there on divers oc- 

 casions. You see I have two sets of recollections, so to speak, my own and my 

 father's," This must have been more than sixty years ago. 



Sanderling : Calidris arenaria. Locally, "Curwillet" and 

 " Towilly." 



A not uncommon spring and autumn migrant, and to some extent 

 also a winter visitor. 



Mr. Parsons has 

 various notes on 

 this species (22)- 

 On May 23rd, 1837, 

 he shot one of a 

 pair, and saw a party 

 of six on Foulness 

 Ridge, and on the 

 following day an- 

 other in fine sum- 

 mer plumage. Mr. 

 Bond met with a 

 few at Southend 

 early in Sept., 1842 

 (23. 40). In 1851, 

 Lindsey wrote (27. 

 App. 53) : it "is 



tolerably common 



SANDERLiiNGS, sunjutcr and winter, l^. 



* It is difficult to .account for a flock of Reeves being about at this date, but there can be no 

 doubt about the bird, which has been submitted to Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. 



