282 



VERTEBRATA. 



.J -^ 



The Maklin, L. fedoa — also 

 called Great Marbled Godwit, 

 Red Curlew, Straiyht-billed Cur- 

 lew, and Doucjli-B'ird — is sixteen 

 and a half inches long; above 

 linnvn, varied with rufous and 

 gray; hencath pale reddish- 

 brown or butt' ; feeds on aquatic 

 insects, leeches, small grubs, shell- 

 fish, and worms ; breeds at the 

 North ; returns in larcfo fiocks i 



BLACK-TAILED GODWITS. 



THE RUFF. 



\\\ 



August, and remains in the Mid- 

 dle States till November; ranges 

 throughout temperate North 

 America. 



The RiNG-TAjLED AFarlin, L. 

 Hudson'ica — called Goose- Bird 

 around Boston — is fifteen and a 

 half inches long; found in East- 



- ^'■^flfflf' 6rn North America ; common in 



'^-r?l('k__^ New Jersey. 



Genus MACHETES : Mache- 

 tes. — This includes the Ruff, M. 

 imgnax, the only known species ; 

 twelve inches long ; weight of 

 the bird, when fat, ten ounces; 

 above of a shining purplish-black, 

 barred with chestnut ; beneath 

 white. The male is distinguish- 

 ed by a ruff" or tippet of feathers 

 around the neck, these falling ofi" 

 in June, attended by an entire 

 change of plumage. It is farther 

 noted for a remarkable pug- 

 nacity, very opposite to the gen- 

 eral peaceful disposition of the 

 grallatorial birds, as is also the 

 practice of polygamy in which it 

 indulges, and which is indeed the 

 cause of the continual fighting 

 that goes on during the breeding 

 season. Montagu, in describing 

 a conflict between two of these 

 birds, says, "Their actions in 

 fighting are very similar to those 

 of a game-cock ; the head is 

 lowered, and the beak held in a 

 horizontal direction ; the rufl", 

 and indeed every feather, more 

 or less distended, the former > 

 sweeping the ground as a shield 

 to defend the more tender parts ; 

 the auricles erected, and the tail 



