398 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



own species that trespasses on their hill : this hahit 

 is well known to the fen-men in the counties where 

 Huffs ahound, or rather perhaps did ahound, and is 

 called "hilling," or " going to hill:" the hills, being 

 much trampled on, are easily found by the fen -men, 

 who take advantage of this amiable propensity of 

 " hilling" to trap the Ruffs by setting their clap-nets 

 on the most used hills, and so catching the poor 

 birds who come there for a quiet fight. 



The Ruff is easily kept in confinement, but does 

 not appear to breed in that state, as Montagu, who 

 kept some for a considerable time, says the only 

 notice the males took of the females, or " Reeves," 

 as they are called, was to drive them from their 

 food. These Ruffs of Montagu's were brought by 

 him from Lincolnshire into Devonshire a long 

 journey in the old posting days: they were taken 

 out of their baskets twice a day and penned into a 

 corner of a room and fed, where they appeared to be 

 as happy as eating and fighting could make them. 

 Their love of fighting appears to be quite as great 

 when in confinement as when in their wild state, for 

 besides the travellers above mentioned, Montagu 

 says that, when at Spalding, he was shown into a 

 room where there were about seven dozen Ruffs, 

 and that his intrusion drove some of these from 

 their stands and compelled them to trespass on the 

 premises of others, which produced many battles : 

 he adds that these birds are so pugnacious that they 



