THE RUFF. 



559 



Juvenile. 



down tipped pinkish-buff ; ear-coverts and cheeks light buff ; 

 under -parts whitish suffused yellowish-buff. 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Crown sepia, feathers edged warm 

 buff ; nape pale ash-brown, feathers fringed warm buff ; mantle 

 and scapulars brown-black, feathers fringed warm or ochraceous- 

 buff ; back, rump and 

 upper tail - coverts as 

 adult winter but sepia 

 feathers edged warm 

 buff ; ear-coverts and 

 cheeks buff, narrowly 

 streaked sepia ; chin 

 white or light buff ; 

 throat, sides of neck, 

 breast and flanks 

 warm buff ; remain- 

 ing under -parts as adult ; tail ash-brown, feathers bordered blackish 

 and fringed (and sometimes notched or barred) ochraceous-buff 

 towards tip ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries as mantle ; 

 greater, median and lesser coverts ash-brown bordered darker 

 brown and fringed warm or ochraceous-buff. 



First winter. Male and female. — As winter adults but dis- 

 tinguished by some retained juvenile scapulars and innermost 

 secondaries which have buff edges and are brown-black not ash- 

 brown as in adult and by buff edges to median coverts. The juvenile 

 body-plumage (not all scapulars), sometimes tail-feathers, some 

 innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and lesser coverts 

 are moulted Aug. to Dec. but not rest of wings. First summer. — 

 Moult as adult. Only to be distinguished from adults when buff 

 edges to juvenile wing-coverts have not become completely abraded. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 186-198 mm., tail 61-68, 

 tarsus 45.5-52, bill from feathers 34-38 (12 measured). $ wing 

 149.5-163.5, bill 29.5-33. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 

 3rd equal or 1-6 mm. shorter, 4th 7.5-12.5 shorter, 5th 19-26 

 shorter, 6th 31-40 shorter. Longest inner -secondary between 3rd 

 and 6th primaries. Tail rounded, middle pair of feathers slightly 

 longer than rest. Tail-coverts nearly reaching end of tail. Males 

 acquire in spring elongated feathers at back and sides of head 

 (longest at sides) forming two occipital tufts, while elongated 

 feathers of lower -throat and upper-breast form a pectoral ruff or 

 frill. Bill short, straight, slender and flattened towards point ; 

 nasal groove extending nearly to end of bill. Four toes, anterior 

 ones long, outer ones webbed at base. 



Soft parts. — Bill black-brown, fleshy at base ; legs and feet 

 greenish-yellow, orange-yellow or yellowish-brown ; iris dark 

 brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies or near allies. Distinguished by short, 

 straight bill and medium size (smaller than Redshank, larger than 

 Dunlin) ; in winter by light sepia upper -parts and pale ash-brown 



