380 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



scene, speaking generally, is of the following description : Some 

 dozen or so of Kuffs are standing or sitting — often dozing — 

 together, quite amicably, on their pairing-ground. Enter a 

 Reeve. There are prostrations, rufflings, bustlings about, dart- 

 ings hither and thither over the course, with occasional short, 

 sharp encounters, and out of the whole of this the Eeeve, quite 

 coolly and as if she knew her business, picks her bird. With 

 this object of her choice she, as a rule, can and does unite her- 

 self. If she cannot she flies away. Another time her object 

 will be accomplished. Nothing has been gained by the un- 

 favoured rivals let them have blustered and skirmished "never 

 so." She is not to be compelled, she is not to be intimidated, 

 her caprices cannot be overruled. Thus, practically, she has 

 the power, and it is along the lines of an increasing recog- 

 nition of this fact on the part of the Ruff that things, as I 

 believe, are advancing. This would lead to more and more reli- 

 ance being placed by the male on the power of pleasing the 

 female, and less and less upon the likelihood of winning her, by 

 force. 



As already intimated, I have seen no evidence of the Reeve 

 being impressed by the fighting qualities, or by the "vigour," 

 as such, of the male, or that these are elements of paramount 

 importance in his courtship. In saying that a bird notably 

 deficient in this way, and of a sluggish temper in general, is 

 likely to suffer through such defects, I say all that the facts, 

 so far as they have fallen under my observation, warrant me in 

 saying, which is surely not much, for such a bird loses much 

 more through not being a brisk suitor than by being a dull 

 fighter. The above, however, if we exclude birds not yet in 

 full plumage, and whose position, on that account, is altogether 

 subsidiary, is almost a supposititious case. With one or two 

 doubtful exceptions I have seen no mature-looking, full-plumaged 

 Ruff of the sort. What I have seen strong and sustained 

 evidence of is that the Reeve has the full power of choice, and 

 that she exercises it in such a manner as to make it evident 

 that she chooses this or that bird for himself, for something 

 about him, that is to say, by virtue of which she likes him 

 better than another, either always or at this or that time. I 

 believe that this something is, in the main, his appearance, 



