PLOVERS. 51 



the Jack Snipe (Limnocryptes gallinula) (473) are winter visitors, the 

 former, however, being comparatively rare. 



The next subfamily, Totanina, occupying the remainder of Case 27 [Cases 27, 

 and the floor of Case 28, includes the Sandpipers and Godwits, most of 

 which have distinct summer- and winter-plumages, as well as the Curlews. 

 Of these the Dunlin (486), Ruff (500), Greenshank (496), Redshank 

 (506), Common Sandpiper (502), Curlew (519), and Whimbrel (516) 

 breed in the British Isles, though the Ruff and Whimbrel are local and 

 rare. Many others, such as the Knot (484), Curlew- (483), Purple (482), 

 Wood- (499) and Green (497) Sandpipers, Little Stint (488), Sanderling 

 (491), Spotted Redshank (507), and the Bar-tailed (509) and Black- 

 tailed Godwits (508) visit our coasts regularly ; while among the 

 occasional visitors are the Broad-billed (485), American Pectoral (481), 

 Bonaparte's (480), Baird's (480 a), Buff-breasted (493), Bartram's 

 (494), Solitary (498) ; and Snipe-billed or Red-breasted (511) Sand- 

 pipers, the American (487) and Temminck's (489) Stints, Spotted Sand- 

 piper (501), Yellowshank (503), Marsh Sandpiper (504), and Eskimo 

 Curlew (513). 



Among the typical Sandpipers, perhaps the most striking form on 

 account of its remarkable bill, is the little Spoon-billed Sandpiper 

 (Eurynorhynchus pygm&us) (490), a native of Eastern Asia. As regards 

 variety of colour the polygamous Ruff (Pavoncella pugnax] (500) is quite 

 peculiar. During the breeding-season the face of the male becomes 

 covered with small yellow warts, the fore-neck develops an enormous 

 " ruff " of feathers which can be erected or depressed at will, and the 

 head is adorned with tufts of feathers or " ears " which are also erectile. 

 Both "ruff" and " ear-tufts " are specially remarkable for the range of 

 their colour, which may be white, rufous, or black, with or without bars, 

 the variation being endless and alike in no two individuals. In winter 

 both sexes are very similar in plumage, but the female, commonly called 

 the Reeve, may always be distinguished from the male by her smaller 

 size. The Ruff is polygamous, and the males during the spring are very 

 pugnacious, and have a curious habit of assembling in small parties to 

 contend in a kind of tournament for the possession of the females, which 

 are said to outnumber them. 



The difference between the summer- and winter-dress of the Godwits 

 (Limosa) (508-510) is most conspicuous ; in the former bright chestnut- 

 red is the dominant colour, while in the latter the general tone is 

 grey and white. In the Curlews (Numenius} (513-519) these seasonal 

 differences are very slight. 



The Ibis-billed Curlew (Ibidurhynchus struthersi] (520), from the [Case 28.] 

 inland streams of Central Asia, China, and the Himalaya, is the unique 

 type of the next subfamily, and worthy of special notice. It is more 

 nearly allied to the Oyster-catchers than the Curlews and resembles the 

 former in its habits. 



E 2 



