CHAKADRIID^: PAVONCELLA 403 



Distribution. The Ruff nests throughout the northern part oj 

 the Old World from Holland to the Amoor Valley. It formerly 

 bred freely in the marshy parts of England, but drainage and the 

 efforts of collectors have reduced its number, and it is now only 

 a visitor. During the northern winter months the Buff retreats to 

 Africa, North India and Burma. 



In South Africa the Buff is widely distributed and commonly 

 met with between the months of August and March wherever suit- 

 able conditions occur. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Cape 

 division, September, Upington on the Orange Biver, November 

 (S. A. Mus.), Knysna, November (Marais), Port Elizabeth (Brown), 

 King William's Town (Trevelyan), Deelfontein, January to March, 

 common (Siemund) ; Natal Durban (Ayres and Woodward), New- 

 castle, September (Butler) ; Orange Biver Colony Vredefort Boad 

 (B. Hamilton) ; Transvaal Potchefstroom, August, September, 

 January (Ayres) ; Bhodesia Bamaqueban Biver, November 

 (Gates) ; German South-west Africa Otjimbinque, August, Wal- 

 visch Bay, October (Andersson), Beheboth, October (Fleck), 

 Omaruru, November, February (Eriksson). 



Habits. The Buff is one of the most interesting of birds and 

 affords several problems to the student of variation which have 

 remained hitherto unsolved. Unfortunately, in South Africa there 

 is no opportunity for studying these problems, as the birds are only 

 here during the non-breeding season. 



The Buff is the only polygamous wading bird, and correlated 

 apparently with this habit is the remarkable plumage of the male in 

 the breeding dress. So variable is this plumage that it is almost 

 impossible to describe it exactly, as hardly any two of the birds are 

 quite alike. This variation has no geographical significance, but 

 is purely individual, and it has been proved in the case of birds in 

 captivity that each bird regains each year during the breeding 

 season the same plumage it had the previous year. In the spring 

 of the year the males " hill," i.e., assemble on knolls of ground and 

 contend with one another for the females. 



The birds on arrival in South Africa have still sometimes a 

 portion of their nuptial plumage, though the greater part is lost at 

 the end of the breeding season before starting south ; on the other 

 hand, the ornamental dress is not put on until it has again reached 

 its northern breeding grounds. 



In South Africa the Buff is generally seen in small flocks of 



