BUFF 323 



and rearing her brood her spouse is leading a bachelor life 

 with other males of his own species, with which, on the 

 least provocation, he spars furiously. 



Formerly the Ruff bred in Somerset, Cambridgeshire, 

 Huntingdonshire, Norfolk, Lincoln, and Lancashire. Re- 

 cently, viz., June 28th, 1889, two nests with eggs were 

 found in Norfolk (Gurney, ' Zoologist,' 1889) ; while in 1897 

 a nest was found near Hoveton Broad, by Mr. Marchant 

 (Harting). Norfolk and Lincolnshire appear to have been 

 the headquarters of this species ; in the latter county Mr. 

 Gurney gives the following calculation of the number of 

 nests recorded during the past forty years : 1858, about 

 fourteen; 1868, about five; 1878, about two; 1888, about 

 one ; 1898, no nests (A. Patterson, ' Zoologist,' 1901, p. 103). 

 At the present day it is a rare breeding-species in England. 



Geographical distribution. Abroad, the Ruff breeds as 

 far south as the North of France, also in Belgium, Germany, 

 and Holland. In Northern Europe it finds suitable nesting- 

 haunts in Scandinavia and Russia, while eastward it can be 

 traced through Northern Siberia. On migration it visits 

 the European, Asiatic, and African Continents, travelling 

 southward to Cape Colony, India, China, and Japan. 

 Stragglers have been taken in North America. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 1 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. About the end of April 

 or the beginning of May the male assumes his remark- 

 able 'ruff' or 'neck-frill,' together with a tuft of wavy 

 feathers, which spring from the back of the head. This 

 plumage is retained until about the end of June. It is 

 altogether peculiar to the adult male bird. It is interesting 

 to note that the ' ruff' varies considerably in colour, the chief 

 types being : black, barred with white ; rich reddish- 

 brown, variegated with black ; white, interspersed with 

 black feathers. The reddish-brown 'ruff' appears to be 

 the most usual colour, the pure white the rarest (Payne- 

 Gallwey). I have in my collection a specimen with light 

 cinnamon-coloured head and tufts, while the ' frill ' is 



1 The difference in size in the sexes is so marked in this species that 

 it may be also well to include the relative weights as follows : 



Male 6 oz. Extreme (heavy) ... 10 oz. 



Female 4 (light) ... 3 



