THE RUFF 199 
A wounded bird of this sort will often strike 
out to swim for safety, and though making no 
great progress when depending only on its little 
feet for paddles, it can make a great rate of 
speed below the surface where with half-spread 
wings it flies beneath the water. 
THE RUFF. (Male.) THE REEVE. (Fe- 
male.) 
(Pavoncella pugnax.) 
This curious bird is a very rare straggler 
from the Old World, where it makes its home 
throughout the northern hemisphere. A large 
proportion of the specimens of this species 
which have been taken on the North American 
continent have been found on the coast of New 
England. As the name would indicate these 
are fighters; that is, they make great pretences 
of fighting, but their quarrels seldom result in 
any serious damage to either combatant. If 
they had a business manager and a newspaper 
puffer in their train we might easily find their 
human imitator. 
The male in spring plumage is marked above 
with chestnut, brown and black; rump blackish, 
