THE RUFF AND REEVE. 1.5.5 



Contentious spirit. 



males within a certain distance commence a ge- 

 neral battle; placing their bills to the ground, 

 spreading their ruff, and using the same action 

 as a cock : and this opportunity is seized by the 

 fowlers, who, in the confusion, catch them, by 

 means of nets, in great numbers ; yet even in 

 captivity, their animosity still continues. 



This bird is so noted for its contentious spirit, 

 that it has obtained the epithet of the fighter. 

 In the beginning of spring, when these birds ar- 

 rive among our marshes, they are also observed 

 to engage with desperate fury against each other. 



An erroneous opinion prevails very generally, 

 that ruffs, when in confinement, must be fed in 

 the dark, lest the admission of light should set 

 them to righting. The fact is, that every bird, 

 even when kept in a room, takes its stand, as it 

 would in the open air ; and if another invade its 

 circle, a battle ensues. A. whole roomful of 

 them may be set into fierce contest by compel- 

 ling them to shift their stations ; but after the 

 disturber has quitted the place, they have beeli 

 observed to resume their circles, and become 

 again pacific. In confinement their, quarrels 

 originate in the circumstance of the pan contain- 

 ing their food not being sufficiently large to 

 admit the whole party to feed without touching 

 each other. When the food has been divided 

 into several pans, the birds have continued per- 

 fectly quiet. 



U 2 



