ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



241 



who is manager of a mine on Princess Royal Island. 

 He has one of these white hear skins, and it was 

 killed close to the mine. It is exactly the same 

 throughout as the type specimen, but has not nearly 

 such a fine coat, as it was killed in the month of 

 June. 



"Dr. Newcomb, of this city, wlio is out here for 

 the Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, collecting 

 Indian relics, has al.so made inquiries from the 

 Indians and others along the coast, and also finds 

 that the bear is well known to the Indians and 

 traders along the coast. Rev. Mr. CoUison, who 

 was at Inverness Cannary this season, told Dr. 

 Newcomb that he also has one of the white bear 

 skins at his home. Mr. Ashdown Green, of the 

 Indian Department, also says the Indians know 

 this bear well." w. t. h. 



THF. RCFF OR FUIHTING SNIPE 



A QUARTET of the most interesting sand- 

 ■'*■ pipers in the world are now living happily 

 and well in the new Bird House. They are known 

 as rutTs, or in scientific ]iarlance Pavoucdla piiguax, 

 which being interpreted means, a Utile fighting 

 peacock. Many of the snipe and sandpipers are 

 known to do battle with one another for the pos- 

 session of their little gray mates, but in no other 

 species does the male gird on a shield for pro- 

 tection in these encounters. 



During the winter these ruft's would attract no 

 more attention than any large sandpiper; but at 

 the approach of spring new feathers appear on 

 certain parts of the head and neck and grow to a 

 remarkable length, forming for the ears, and in fact 

 for the entire body, a perfect feather shield. At the 

 same time the feathers of the face fall out, leaving 

 the skin bare, on the surface of which tiny, thick- 

 ened warls form. Strangest of all, the ])attern of 

 this battle cloak is not the same in any two birds. 

 If we could see fifty standing side by side, some 

 would be seen to be pure white, others gra}', black, 

 orange, butT or chestnut; while the waving ear- 

 plumes are also independent in color. They may 

 vary from white to black, purple, green or blue. 

 Then there is a type of barred ruffs, another with a 

 pattern of spotted feathers, and so on in endless 

 variation, this condition of atTairs being wholly at 

 variance with the generally uniform pattern of 

 coloring of other wild creatures. We can compare 

 these little Joseph-coated birds only with the endless 

 variation of domestic poultry and ]iigeons. 



But whatever the color, these rufTs or shields 

 are evidently of great .service to the bird in its 

 encounters. The four individuals in the collection 

 are all males, and their battle colors are a plain gray, 

 dotted gray, a rich, golden rufous, and chestnut 

 barred with black. 



Though no females are present, yet the fighting 

 instinct of the four ruffs often crops out, and a pair 

 of them will dart and side-step about each other, 

 bills held low and far advanced, rufl's spread out 

 from the breast and trailing low, hiding almost the 

 whole body. Now and then one of the fencers will 

 make a vicious dash, sending his bill clear through 

 the feather-shield of his opponent. But the force 

 of his blow spends itself on the inch of space be- 

 tween the shield and the feathers of the bird's 

 breast. Occasionally one bird will try to turn his 

 adversary's guard by leajjing suddenly over his 

 head, but the other bird as quickly darts from 

 beneath, and in an instant is on guard again. A 

 spirited encounter is an e.xciting sight to behold, 

 and all the more pleasing from the fact that with 

 the exception of losing a feather or so, the birds never 

 seem any the worse for their battle. If there were 

 a lady in the case the results might be of more 

 serious a nature. 



These birds seem to realize the aesthetic value 

 of their decorative rufi', and often indulge in a 



RIFF OR FIGHTING SNIPE. 



dance before a Reeve (as the 

 is called), springing up into 

 round several times, ending 

 to the ground, spreading the 

 thus posing motionless for tw 

 Very rarely after a severe 

 these sturdv birds are to be 



female of this species 

 the air and turning 

 by pointing the beak 

 ruff to its widest, and 

 o or three minutes, 

 gale, one or more of 

 found on our coast. 



