RUF 



pimple* break out on the face above the bill. The male 

 birds of the firft year want thefe marks : and the older they 

 are, the more numerous are the pimples, and the fuller and 

 longer the ruffs. The length of the male to the tip of the 

 tail is one foot, the breadth two ; of the reeve ten inches, 

 the breadth nineteen : the weight of the former, when juft 

 taken, is feven ounces and a half, and of the latter only 

 four. The reeves never change their colour, which is pale 

 brown ; the back fpotted with black, flightly edged with 

 white ; the tail brown ; the middle feathers fpotted with 

 black ; the breaft and belly white ; and the legs of a pale 

 dull yellow. They come over to us in vaft numbers early 

 in the fpring, and difappear about Michaelmas, building in 

 fome parts of Lincolnfhire, particularly in the fenny coun- 

 try about Croyland. They are found alfo in the ifle of 

 Ely, and in the Eaft Riding of Yorkfhire, and for about 

 three weeks at Martin-mere, in Lancafhire. The reeves lay 

 four eggs, which are white, marked with large rufty fpots, 

 in a tuft of grafs, the firft week in May, and fit about a 

 month. Soon after their arrival, the males begin to hill, 

 i. e. to collect on fome dry bank, near a pool of water, in 

 expectation of the females, who refort to them. Each male 

 keeps potTeffion of a fmall piece of ground, which it runs 

 round till the grafs is worn quite away, and nothing but a 

 naked circle left ; and when a female lights, the ruffs im- 

 mediately fall to fighting. When a fowler difcovers one of 

 thofe hills, he places his net at night, and at day-break re- 

 forts to his Hand ; and at the firft pull takes thofe birds that 

 are within reach ; he then places his ftales, or ftuft birds, 

 to entice thofe that are traverfing the fen. In this way a 

 fowler will take forty or fifty dozen in a feafon. When 

 they firft come over, there are many more males than females 

 among them ; but thefe are fo continually fighting, that 

 their numbers foon decreafe below an equality. They are 

 fed after they are taken with bread and milk, hemp-feed, and 

 fometimes boiled wheat ; to which, if expedition is required, 

 they add fugar, and thus they become very fat. They arc 

 killed by cutting off the head with a pair of fciffars ; and 

 they diicharge a great quantity of blood, confidering their 

 fize. They are dreffed like woodcocks, with their intef- 

 tines ; and when killed at the proper time, they are reckoned 

 by the epicures very delicious. Ray and Pennant. 



Ruffs is alfo the name of a particular fpecies cf pigeon, 

 called by Moore the columba cucullata rudu. 



It is in fhape very like that fpecies of pigeon called the 

 jacobine, but is larger, and has a longer beak. The iris of 

 the eye is fometimes red, fometimes pearl-coloured ; the 

 feathers of the hood and chain are much longer than the 

 jacobine, though they do not come down fo low to the 

 fhoulders of the wings, nor are they fo compact and clofe, 

 but are apt to blow about with every little blaft of wind, 

 and fall more backward off the head, and lie in a rough 

 confufed manner. 



It is a common thing to match the jacobine pigeon with 

 this fpecies, with intent to improve its chain by the length 

 of the ruffe's feathers ; but the event is, that the pigeon is 

 always worfe inftead of better, being longer beaked, and 

 loofer in its head and chain, without any real advantage. 



RUFFEC, in Geography, a town of France, and prin- 

 cipal place of a diftrict, in the department of the Charente ; 

 34 miles S. of Poitiers. The place contains 2110, and the 

 canton 12,668 inhabitants, on a territory of 250 kiliometres, 

 in 20 communes. N. lat. 46 2'. E. long. o° 17'. 



RUFFI, Antony de, in Biography, a lawyer and hif- 

 torian, was born at Marfeilles in 1607, and in procefs of 

 time he became a counfellor in the fenefchalcy of Marfeilles, 

 an office of confiderable importance, and which he dif< 



RUF 



charged with diligence and great integrity. He wa« made 

 counfellor of ftate in 1654, and died in 1689, at the age of 

 82. His leifure time, he had, during his long life, employed 

 in learned enquiries, of which the fruits were, 1. An elabo- 

 rate " Hiftory of Marfeilles," fol. 1. " The Life of Gaf- 

 pard de Sinicane, known by the name of the Chevalier de 

 Cofte." 3. - The Hiftory of the Counts of Provence :" 

 and he left in MS. " A Hiftory of the Generals of the Gal- 

 lies." He had a fon, Louis Antony, who purfued a fimilar 

 line of ftudy, and added to his father's Hiftory of Marfeilles 

 a fecond volume, in an edition publifhed in 1696. He was 

 author, likewife, of " Diflertations Hiltonques et Critiques 

 fur l'Origine des Comtes des Provence, de Venaiffin, de 

 Forcalquier, et des Vicomtes de Marfeille ;" and in 17 16 

 he publiftied " Une Differtation Hiftonque, Chronologique, 

 et Critique fur les Evaques de Marfeille." He died in 1 724, 

 at the age of 66. 



RUFFIEUX, in Geography, a town of France, in the 

 department of Mont Blanc, and chief place of a canton, in 

 the diftrict of Chambery. The place contains 1048, and the 

 canton 5110 inhabitants, on a territory of ico kiliometres, 

 in 8 communes. 



RUFFINUS, in Biography, furnamed by fome authors 

 Toranius, a celebrated eccleiiaftical writer and fcripture 

 commentator, who flourifhed in the fourth and fifth centu- 

 ries, was probably a native of Aquileia, but the time of hi* 

 birth is unknown. Having made choice of the ecclefiaftical 

 profefiion, he was baptized in the year 369, and became a 

 prefbyter of the church in that city. Here he contracted 

 a molt intimate friendfhip with St. Jerome, who, in his let- 

 ters to his friends, extolled in the higheft terms the virtues 

 and fanctity of Ruffinus, though at a later period he 

 proved his moft bitter enemy. In or about the year 371 

 Ruffinus quitted Aquileia, with the determination of devot- 

 ing himfelf to the aufterities of the monaftic life, under the 

 monks in the deferts of Egypt. Coming to Rome in his 

 way to Africa, his defign recommended him to the confi- 

 dence of Melania, a Roman widow of noble family and vaft 

 opulence, who refolved to accompany him to that country, 

 and to expend her riches in the eitablifhment of monaftic 

 and charitable inftitutions. In Egypt, Ruffinus fpent feve- 

 ral months in converfing with the monks, whofe folitary cells 

 were fcattered throughout the deferts of Nitria, and in at- 

 tending the lectures of Didymus, mafter of the catechetical 

 fchool in Alexandria. By the Arians, who at this time 

 were protected by the emperor Valens, Ruffinus was perfe- 

 cuted, thrown into prifon, cruelly treated, and at length 

 banifhed to a diftant defert. His female friend, Melania, 

 however, found means to purchafe his redemption, and re- 

 moved with him from Egypt into Paleftine, where they vi- 

 fited the holy place, and took up their refidence at Jerufa- 

 lem. In this city, Ruffinus, fupported by the munificence 

 of his patronefs, built a convent for upwards of fifty females, 

 who renounced the world and devoted themfelves to a re- 

 ligious life, over whom Melania prefided. Connected with 

 this convent were apartments for the accommodation of the 

 pilgrims who came to vifit the holy city, and who were re- 

 ceived, and hofpitably entertained, at the expence of the 

 foundrefs. Here Ruffinus fpent all his leifure time in ftudy 

 and compoiition. About the year 390, a violent quarrel 

 arofe between Epiphanius, and John, patriarch of Jerufa- 

 lem, concerning the opinions of Origen, in which Ruffinus 

 took fuch a part as to give great offence to his friend Je- 

 rome. Their friendthip was now broken off, but was in a 

 few years renewed through the mediation of Theophilus, 

 patriarch of Alexandria. In the year 397, Ruffinus and 

 Melania took their leave of Jernfalem, and embarked for 

 1 .Italy- 



