428 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



have noticed, however, amongst the Buffs here, one or two 

 nondescript-looking birds, larger than the ordinary female, yet 

 not so large as the male, and with the head and neck coloured 

 much in this way. I cannot, in fact, even now, quite make up 

 my mind whether these birds — if, indeed, there be more than one 

 — are Ruffs or Reeves. 



Here then we see a possible line along which the Ruff's habit 

 of assembling in a certain place, where, by preference, the court- 

 ship is carried on, may have been developed ; for we can 

 hardly suppose that a number of birds would, in the first in- 

 stance, deliberately choose a spot either for this or for any other 

 purpose. If, however, they became gradually accustomed to 

 standing on one spot rather than on another, all the rest might 

 follow — nor do I believe myself that any individual Ruff has ever 

 selected its ground. But now it is not all the Redshanks that 

 come down, after each little flight, in the one place — the band 

 that do, that is to say, is not always represented by its maximum 

 number. Some flew up from and went down in other places, 

 nor was quite the same place chosen on the two consecutive 

 days. Moreover, the birds did not continue to behave in this 

 way for any long time. Probably, therefore, there are any num- 

 ber of such little embryo gathering-grounds in temporary use 

 every day, and varying from day to day. Do we, amongst the 

 Ruffs, see any relic of this less specialized state of things — as 

 shown, for instance, by the same band of birds having more 

 than one assembly-ground ? This question may be answered 

 farther on. 



(To be continued.) 



