422 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



fh.to bj W. P. Dando, F.Z..S.] 



DENHAM'S BUSTARD 



This species, ivhen 



lR,g,„C, F.irk 



Ruff. 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 

 " ears," 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 remark- 

 able fact concerning this frill and 

 the two " ears," and for this reason — 

 no two individuals ever 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, ba}', and ash-colour. 

 Diversification is gained bycontrasting 

 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 arc discarded as quickly, for they are scarcely completed by the month 



of May, and are thrown oil" 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 females, 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 rufif 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 have succeeded in 



reversing the usual order of 



things in the matter of sexual 



plumage. These are the 



PlIALAROPES — which arc 



British birds — and the 



Painted Snii-e, in both of 



which the female is more 



brightly coloured and some- 

 what larger in size than the 



shoii'ing GJf\"\filU (he gullet ivith air, hai-'ing no special air- 

 sac like the great bustard 



Ph,to hj li: F. f Vi'd"] 



lI.,i£hlor, Bux 



GREAT BUSTARDS 



T/ic cock on the right is " shoiui/ig off'' 



