526 THE RUFF. 



No. 245. 

 RUFF. 



A. O. U. No. 260. Pavoncella piignax (Linn.). 



Synonym. — REEvg ( female ) . 



Description.' — Adult male in breeding plumage : Front and head usually 

 bare and with fleshy papillae ; feathers of neck enlarged and elongated into a ruflf, 

 with corresponding "cape" behind ; the latter about half as long as the former, but 

 more persistent ; entire plumage very variable ; three spring males before me pre- 

 sent the following appearance : Number one. — Entire plumage, except crissum, 

 flanks, lining of wings, chin and primaries, ochraceous-rufous and ochraceous- 

 buff, heavily and regularly barred with black, the three shades alternating on ruff, 

 and the black of this region showing high metallic purplish reflections. Number 

 two. — Crown, cape, and edges of ruff bright ochraceous ; enclosed area of ruff 

 white ; back ochraceous, finely mottled with black ; wings grayish brown to dusky ; 

 breast and sides ochraceous and black in irregular blotches. Number three (the 

 Columbus specimen). — Crown and abbreviated ruff bright tawny, mottled with 

 glossy black; throat and lower neck all around pure white; back finely mottled 

 ochraceous and black; wings plain fuscous throughout; breast and sides sooty 

 black, the feathers with shining purplish tips and whitish edgings ; belly, crissum, 

 and lining of wings white; bill yellowish to dusky; feet and legs bright yellow; 

 claws black. Adiilt female : Without ruff ; head completely feathered ; above black 

 predominating, but feathers with broad edgings of brownish or buffy gray ; wings 

 fuscous or variable gray; fore-neck, breast, and sides mingled ashy gray, black, 

 and whitish; remaining under parts white; the black everywhere with more or 

 less of metallic reflections. Immature : Like adult female, but black less exten- 

 sive, non-metallic or brownish; the edging of feathers on back, etc., heavily ochra- 

 ceous or buffy ; below fore-neck, breast, and sides buffy or buffy-ochraceous ; re- 

 maining under parts whitish; bill greenish black; feet and legs light greenish 

 brown. Length io!oo-i2.5o ( 254.-317.5) ; measurements of a typical adult male: 

 wing 6.75 (171. 5) ; tail 2.65 (67.3) ; bill 1.33 (33.8) ; tarsus 1.80 (457)- Adult 

 female, wing 6.20 (157.5) ; tail 2.20 (55.9) ; bill 1.25 (31.8) ; tarsus 1.70 (43-2)- 



Recognition Marks. — Killdeer size or larger ; most nearly comparable in size, 

 length of bill, etc., to the Bartramian Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), and best 

 distinguished from that species by negative characters. Ruff of male and glossy 

 black, where visible, distinctive. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in America. Bggs, 4, olive or greenish 

 gray, heavily spotted and blotched with umber or bistre. Av. size, 1.71 x 1.20 

 (43.4x30.5). _ 



Ueneral Range.— Northern parts of the Old World, straymg occasionally to 

 tiastern North America. 



Range in Ohio. — Accidental. Two records: Columbus, April 28, 1878, and 

 Licking Reservoir, Licking County, Nov. 10, 1872. (Both specimens in O. S. U. 

 collection.) 



TWO specimens of this Old World species, now preserved in the Ohio 

 State University collection, entitle it to recognition in our pages. The first, 



