372 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



of their inclinations, and we can understand a new fancy taking 

 precedence of an old one. Lastly, the largest number of un- 

 doubted Beeves that I have seen on the ground, together, has 

 been thirteen, which, with one away, that I remember, makes 

 fourteen. If we suppose these to be all the Reeves, and if each 

 Ruff that pairs here has a harem, then, allowing six apiece for 

 the brown and the blue one — nor do I think it can be less — this 

 only leaves two between the other four or six.* But the black 

 Ruff's harem must now, I should think, amount to six also, or, 

 at any rate, to four. Without promiscuity, therefore, the num- 

 bers would not be sufficient, and even if there be twenty-two 

 Reeves, which is the largest number of Ruffs I have been able to 

 count on the ground, this would still only leave ten between the 

 four or six birds other than the brown and blue ones. Though 

 I cannot feel sure about it, therefore, it seems to me more likely, 

 on the whole, that the Reeve distributes her favours amongst 

 several males. This, at any rate, is very clear, that the male 

 Ruff does not take pains to collect Reeves together, and guard 

 them against rivals. Only in exceptional circumstances have I 

 seen anything like jealousy, and even to these, indeed, the word 

 could hardly be applied. The Ruffs, in fact, do not really seek 

 the Reeves. Rather they are sought by them, and when they 

 have done with them they seem quite indifferent as to where they 

 go or what they do. The two Ruffs with which the Reeve I have 

 spoken of paired successively were quite close together, yet 

 neither of them made the least objection, nor is anything more 

 noticeable than that, as a general rule, to which there are but 

 few exceptions, pairing Ruffs are not interfered with by others. 

 Neither do the Reeves show jealousy, though it would be im- 

 possible to be more jealous than female birds can be. The 

 general look of things, in fact, suggests promiscuity. 



It was this morning that I saw the longest fight between two 

 Ruffs that I have yet witnessed. I cannot say precisely how 

 long it lasted, not having taken out my watch until some time 

 after it had begun, but it was certainly, I think, under five 

 minutes. These birds fought like demons, and, at the end, 

 I noticed that the white ruff of one of them was crimsoned, here 



* I have reason to think that the breeding operations of both the sexes 

 are confined to one nieeting-place. (See pp. 369, 377.) 



