PUA TT) Xe 
has attained the ruff; it cannot, however, be miftaken, as no Bird 
of this country refembles it in the fmalleft degree. “The ground 
colour is generally brown, but it varies in different Birds to every 
hue between the lighteft teint that can deferve that name, and the 
deepeft chocolate colour ; fometimes we find the ruff of a fine tender 
buff colour, witheut the flighteft appearance ef fpots, except on the 
breaft and back, which may be of a deep black, intermingled with a 
few white feathers, and glofled with fhining purple; others we find 
that have the ruffs of a deep brown, barred with black; fome with 
white ruffs {potted with brown, or brown fpotted with white; and 
indeed with every variation that it is poffible to defcribe. 
The females, or Reeves, Pennant afferts, never change their colours, 
which he fays are pale brown; the back fpotted with black, flightly 
edged with white; the tail brown; the middle feathers {potted with 
black; the breaft and belly white; the legs of a pale dull yellow : 
but I have two fpecimens that do not well agree with his defcription, 
or correfpond with each other; and in the Leverian mufeum a variety 
of that fex is preferved that is wholly white, except the wings, on 
which the ufual markings are vifible in a very pale colour. 
The female has no ruff, and the male does not attain that appendage 
until the fecond feafon; at the time of incubation the plumage of ne 
latter is in the full perfe€tion, and the pimples break out on his face: 
but after that time they fhrink beneath the fkin, the long feathers of 
the ruff fall off, and he again affumes the plain appearance of the 
female. 
Thefe Birds inhabit the North of E urope in fummer, as far as Ice- 
land, as well as the northern marfhes of R uffa and Siberia, In this 
country they are found in Lincolnfbire, the Mle of E ly, and in the eaft 
L 2 riding 
