438 SCOLOPACID^E. 



the male birds of the district assemble at dawn, for many 

 days in succession, and do battle valiantly for the females, 

 called Reeves, till the weakest are vanquished and leave 

 possession of the field to their more powerful adversaries. 

 The attitude during these contests is nearly that of the 

 domestic Cock the head lowered, the body horizontal, 

 the collar bristling, and the beak extended. But Ruffs 

 will fight to the death on other occasions. A basket con- 

 taining two or three hundred Ruffs was once put on board 

 a steamer leaving Rotterdam for London. The incessant 

 fighting of the birds proved a grand source of attraction 

 to the passengers during the voyage ; and about half 

 of them were slain before the vessel reached London. 

 Ruffs are gluttonously disposed too, and, if captured by a 

 fowler, will begin to eat the moment they are supplied 

 with food ; but, however voracious they may be, if a basin 

 of bread and milk or boiled wheat be placed before them, 

 it is instantly contended for ; and so pugnacious is their 

 disposition, that even when fellow-captives, they would 

 starve in the midst of plenty if several dishes of food were 

 not placed amongst them at a distance from each other. 



Many years have not passed since these birds paid 

 annual visits in large numbers to the fen-countries. They 

 were, however, highly prized as delicacies for the table, 

 and their undeviating habit of meeting to fight a pitched 

 battle gave the fowler such an excellent opportunity of 

 capturing all the combatants in his nets, that they have 

 been gradually becoming more and more rare. The fowler, 

 in fact, has been so successful that he has destroyed his 

 own trade. 



Another peculiarity of the Ruff is, that the plumage 

 varies greatly in different individuals so much so, indeed, 

 that Montagu, who had an. opportunity of seeing about 

 seven dozen in a room together, could not find two alike. 

 These birds are now become rare, but occasional specimens 

 are still met with in different parts of Great Britain, and 



