Shore-bird Shooting 427 



greatly developed into a ruff, the face covered with reddish 

 papillae. In coloring, this ruff varies greatly from glossy black 

 to white, with all shades of brown and buff and mixtures be- 

 tween. The cape shows the same variation. In the winter 

 plumage the male has no ruff. 



Adult female — Without the ruff, head completely feathered; plu- 

 mage, banded transversely with black and buff or white ; abdo- 

 men, generally white. 



Young — Upper parts, brownish black, feathers bordered with buff; 

 crown, streaked with black ; lower parts, white with a buff 

 tinge anteriorly ; bill, brown ; iris, brown ; legs, yellow. 



Measurements — Length, lo to 12 inches; wing, 6.50 inches; cul- 

 men, 1.50 inches; tarsus, 1.75 inches; middle toe, 1.25 inches. 



Eggs — Four in number ; greenish gray, spotted with brown, meas- 

 ure 1.60 by 1. 10 inches. 



Habitat — Breeds from Great Britain, Holland, and the Danube 

 River, east through Russia to central Siberia, and north to 

 the Arctic Ocean. Winters throughout Africa and in India 

 and Burma. Wanders east to the Commander Islands, 

 Japan, and Borneo, and west to Spanish Guiana, Barbadoes, 

 and eastern North America, where some fourteen specimens 

 have been taken, in New Brunswick, Maine, Massachusetts, 

 New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, and 

 Ontario. 



This species is the most remarkable of the 

 Limicolae, not only from the long ruff of many 

 colors, ranging from deep black to pure white, 

 through many shades of chestnut, brown, and 

 gray, often barred with darker shades, and the 

 black glossed with violet or green, or spangled 

 with white or gold, and the white barred with 

 white or rufous, which is assumed by the male in 

 the breeding season, but also for its polygamous 

 habits, each male taking as many wives as he can 



