Birds of Britain 



one male. A male, unless chosen, never pursues the female 

 or interferes with her in any way, but trusts merely in his 

 external beauty to attract her attention. 



The nest is placed among rough herbage in a fairly 

 damp place. It is a deep cup, well lined with grass and 

 bents. The eggs, usually four but often three in number, 

 are greyish green, blotched and spotted with various shades 

 of brown. Except during the actual pairing the male takes 

 no part in the housekeeping, and when the females are 

 sitting the males may be seen together in flocks. In 

 food and other habits this species resembles the majority 

 of Waders. 



In winter the sexes are alike, except that the male is 

 very much larger than the female. The upper parts are of 

 a uniform brownish, and the under parts brownish grey, 

 with white margins to the feathers; belly white. The 

 young resemble the adults but are darker on the back, the 

 feathers of which have rufous or buff margins. The neck 

 and breast are of a pale pinkish buff. 



In spring, the male grows a long ruff on the neck and 

 upper breast as well as a backwardly directed ear tuft on 

 each side of the head. This ruff can be raised or depressed 

 at will, and is of a variety of colours, hardly any two being 

 exactly alike. The face also becomes covered with a mass 

 of warty carbuncles. The feathers of the back and flanks 

 are black, mottled, spotted, or barred with chestnut. The 

 female has no ruff, but becomes darker on the back and 

 breast. Length of male 12'5 in. ; bill 1*5 in.; wing 7' 2 5 in.: 

 of female 1 in. ; wing 6 in. 



334 



