CHARADRIIDAE 285 



wing shewing a white patch, and the white under parts brownish 

 streaks. In the cold season all the dark markings vanish. T. 

 (Heteractitis) incanus, having uniform grey upper, and white 

 under surface, closely barred in summer with dusky, is founcL_ 

 through the Eastern Pacific Islands, and on the mainland from 

 Alaska to the Galapagos. T. brevipes, with white-banded upper 

 tail-coverts, occurs from Kamtschatka and East Siberia to the 

 Malay Islands and Australia. Both breed to the northward. 



Machetes pugnax, the KufF with its consort the Eeeve 

 was formerly well-known in England from the large num- 

 bers netted or snared for the table. Our nesting birds are 

 now reduced to a few pairs, but considerable numbers visit 

 us on passage, while they breed through northern Europe 

 and Asia, and migrate to South Africa, the Indian region, 

 and Japan, wandering rarely to Iceland and Eastern America. 

 The Kuff's nuptial plumage, which varies extraordinarily and 

 individually, may be chiefly black, white, chestnut, buff, grey and 

 white, and so forth, often with metallic hues or concentric barring. 

 A tuft of stiff curled plumes springs from near each ear, the 

 feathers of the face are replaced by yellowish or pinkish tubercles, 

 and an ample distensible ruff overhangs the breast. Males regain 

 the same colours annually, but after breeding become like the 

 females, which are dark brown and buff, and one-third smaller. 

 The polygamous tendencies and habit of " hilling," i.e. sparring 

 on some slight eminence for the Reeves, have been frequently 

 described ; * the note, though seldom heard, is said to resemble 

 ka-ka-kuk ; the food includes seeds, insects, and worms ; the nest, 

 placed among herbage in the drier parts of a swamp, contains 

 four greenish, snipe-like eggs, with rich brown blotches. The 

 Buff performs many antics while courting, but leaves all the work 

 of building, incubation, and the care of the young to his mate. 



Bartramia longicauda, which accidentally visits Britain, Conti- 

 nental Europe, and even Australia, inhabits North America, and 

 migrates southward to Chili and Argentina. It is light brown 

 above, varied with black, buff, and white, the long wedge-shaped 

 tail and the under surface of the wing are barred, the rufous lower 

 parts spotted, with black. The throat and belly are white. In 

 winter it is a shy bird, crouching, running with jerks of the tail, 

 or taking short flights ; it utters a soft whistle, and lays pinkish- 



1 See Yarrell's Brit. Birds, 4th ed., iii. 1882-84, pp. 426-434, and elsewhere. 



