( 146 ) 

 SOME NOTES ON THE RUFF. 



BY 



E. L. TURNER, Hon.M.B.o.u. 



These photographs of the Ruff {Philomachus ptignax) were 

 taken on one of their classic " hihs " in Texel, between May 

 19th and 22nd, 1920 ; my observations extended over three 

 weeks. This "hihing" ground was at the edge of a narrow 

 meadow, separated from a cross-road by a dyke only. Some- 

 times the Ruffs played in this road, but there were always 

 some to be seen on the meadow. By far the greater number 

 of Ruffs assembled on the main road, where I have seen 

 from forty to sixty at a time. Some would be dancing, others 

 sleeping or fighting, on their hills on the grassy margins of 

 the road ; but many were always rushing about on the road 

 itself. If you are cycling, they run aside to let you pass, and 

 are back again to their old position almost before you can 

 look round. If a cart passes, they give it rather a wider 

 berth, and return to their absurd amusements the moment 

 it has passed. They are more wary of people walking, and 

 generally fly to the meadows before you are within fifty yards 

 of them. I thought at first that it would be quite easy to 

 stalk them with a camera on the open road, where they would 

 have made good photographs, but they eluded me ; so I 

 put up a tent in the midst of them on the " hill " in the 

 meadow. There were nine bare places within range of my 

 camera, tenanted by as many Ruffs ; as each bird's plumage 

 is distinctive, I knew them all individually ; each one usually 

 resorted to his own special patch. The grass around this 

 area was several inches high, and consequently the Ruffs do 

 not show up as distinctly as they would have done by the 

 roadside. Each little hill was about eighteen inches in 

 diameter, and absolutely devoid of any vegetation. The 

 Ruff is either as motionless as if he were carved in stone, or 

 else he is vibrating like a toy on wires. It is the rapid, 

 restless motion of the feet, and the dancing, which have 

 worn down the grass and hardened the ground in these 

 circular patches. 



The birds paid no attention to ni}' tent, although the wind 

 was so strong one day I could hardly keep it up, and the 

 canvas rattled and roared like a ship in a storm. As a matter 

 of fact. Ruffs are supremely indifferent to anything except 

 their own concerns. The wind seemed to excite them, for 

 on that day they sparred a great deal, while the next day. 



