622 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



numbers in summer plumage, though I have observed that 

 very few of those seen in spring in the Tees area are in full 

 breeding dress, the majority retain more or less traces of the 

 winter plumage, and only about one in twenty has assumed 

 its nuptial garb. 



In habits this bird is very conservative, seldom being 

 found at any distance away from the tide proper ; the late 

 J. Cordeaux remarked (" Birds of Humber District," p. 98), 

 that he had occasionally seen it on the fallows near the coast, 

 but its occurrence in inland localities is of more exceptional 

 occurrence than is the case with other shore-birdo ; in Neville 

 Wood's " Naturalist " it is said to have been observed in 

 February 1838, at Doncaster ; two were obtained at Wap- 

 lington in the East Riding ; and one, which I examined in 

 the possession of Mr. W. Walton of Middleton-in-Teesdale, 

 was procured on the Yorkshire side of the river in the autumn 

 of 1902. 



Local names : at the Humber mouth it is the Sand- 

 runner or Stint ; at the Teesmouth it is called by the general 

 name of Stint, and Redcar fishermen distinguish it as the 

 White Stint. 



RUFF. 

 Machetes pugnax 



Bird of passage in spring and autumn ; very limited in numbers, 

 and chiefly observed on the coast. A rare straggler inland. 



The earliest reference to this species, in connection with 

 Yorkshire, may be found in the account of the great banquet 

 at Cawood in 1466, and it is evident these birds were held 

 in high esteem as delicacies, as it is stated that " of the 

 fowles called Rees there were supplied 200 dozen " (Leland's 

 " Collectanea "). It also appears in the Northumberland 

 Household Book, in 1512, where, amongst the birds to be 

 provided " for my Lordes owne Mees," are " Reys," the price 

 allotted being 2d. each. 



