36 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Kui-T. The importance of this ex- 

 ception is still further increased by 

 the fact that the change in coloration 

 is accompanied by the development 

 of a large frill around the neck, 

 surmounted by two large tufts called 

 " cars," and fleshy, brightly coloured 

 warts around the beak. The coloured 

 picture of the male in its spring dress, 

 which will be found on another page, 

 gives an admirable idea of the typical 

 ruff, but it must necessarily fail to give 

 any indication of one very n mark- 

 able fact concerning this frill and 

 the two " ears," and for this reason 

 no two individuals < -ver have these 

 peculiar feathers of the same colora- 

 tion and pattern. The range of colour 

 is certainly not great the changes 

 being rung, so to speak, on black, 

 white, chestnut, bay, and ash-colour. 

 Diversification is gained by contrasting 

 the "ears" with the frill, and adding 

 bars or streaks to the light coloration, 

 and purple, green, and violet reflec- 

 tions to the dark. These ornaments 

 are donned in a surprisingly short 



space of time, and are discarded as quickly, for they are scarcely completed by the month 



of May, and are thrown off again at the end of June. During the time that this resplendent 



livery is worn the males engage in mimic battles which may occasionally develop into real 



ones arranged apparently for the edification of the female-, which, it seems, select as partners, 



at least for that season, those which please or excite most. This power of pleasing must 



certainly be considerable, for 



the ruff is a polygamous 



species. 



Formerly the ruff was 



a common bird in England, 



but the drainage of the 



fens and persecution have 



practically brought about its 



extermination. 



At least two groups of 



plovers haye succeeded in 



reversing the usual order of 



things in the matter of sexual 



plumage. Ther-e are the 



l'!l.\i.\ii|'i> which arc 



Hritish birds and the 



I'\IMI:I> SMIT., in both of 



which the female is more 



brightly coloured and some- CRK.AT HlslAKDS 



what larger in si/.e than the Tht xk <,* tin rigki it " ,iwi*g /" 



. r. nw., F. z.s.i [*/ p*'t 



DENHAM'S BUSTARD 



TUi ifeciet, -when " thsfwing off," fillt tke gullet with air, having no iftdal air- 

 sac iite tlit great bustard 



/;,..-. /.:/. r. 



!/,;,/ 



