BUFF. 191 



made of coarse grass, is placed on some hillock among the 

 same, or sedge, or rushes. 



The eggs are subject to considerable variety; some are of 

 a beautiful green ground colour, others olive brown, spotted 

 with darker brown. They are four in number. 



The .Ruff, that is, the male bird, for the female, the Reeve, 

 is not, like him, 'varium et mutabile semper,' is subject to 

 greater varieties of plumage than any other British bird. 

 Two specimens are rarely to be found alike 'nil fuit unquam 

 sic impar sibi.' Buffon says that Klein compared above a 

 hundred together, and found only two that were similar. 



Weight, about six ounces to seven and upwards; length, 

 one foot and half an inch. The bill is very firm and hard 

 at the tip, but more flexible at the base; its colour varies 

 from brown or yellowish brown to black; iris, dusky brown, 

 behind it is a tuft of long erectable feathers. Head on the 

 crown, glossy purple black, with chesnut bars; on each side 

 is a tuft of elongated feathers, and the head is carunculated 

 at the same time that the neck in front and on the sides is 

 furnished in the way of a ruff or frill, with an accession of 

 produced feathers, finely glossed, which reach their full length 

 the middle or end of May: these are lost again after the 

 season of incubation, beginning to fall even in June. They 

 vary in an endless manner, no two being found exactly alike, 

 and some differing most widely. The bird presents a totally 

 different appearance with and without the ruff 'alter at 

 idem.' Its appropriate colour is shining purple black, barred 

 with chesnut, but white, yellow, and rufous shades also 

 prevail. The breast above, next to the ruff, chesnut, the 

 feathers tipped with black; on the lower part it is white; 

 back, pale chesnut, the feathers speckled and tipped with 

 black. 



Greater wing coverts, nearly uniform grey brown; lesser 

 wing coverts, pale chesnut brown, speckled and tipped with 

 black; primaries, brownish black, the shafts white; some of 

 the tertiaries are pale chesnut, tipped and speckled with 

 black. Tail, greyish brown, the four middle feathers varied 

 with chesnut and black; upper tail coverts, white; under tail 

 coverts, white. Legs and toes, pale yellowish brown; claws, 

 black. 



The female is about one third less than the male; length, 

 ten inches and a half; bill, dark brown about the tip, paler 

 at the base; iris, dusky brown. Head, crown, and neck, 



