440 RUFF. 



of time on the wing. They prey upon wild ducks and other birds, 

 which they mostly pounce upon on the ground ; and it would appear 

 that mice and these must constitute their food, as the remains of both 

 were found in the stomachs of those that were killed. Their favourite 

 haunts are the skirts of forests, in the neighbourhood of a marsh, or 

 water." The dusky falcon of the Arctic Zoology seems to be a variety 

 of this bird ; its being rather smaller may be occasioned by age or sex. 

 Levaillant gives this bird as an inhabitant of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 but acknowledges that he has seen a species in Lorrain, in France, very 

 similar, " and which is very probable," says Dr. Latham, " as we have 

 the bird in some of the counties in England." This remark of Dr. 

 Latham, whose ornithological credit stands so deservedly high in esti- 

 mation, may stamp the opinion that the booted falcon, as well as the 

 Rough-legged Buzzard, is a native of England ; whereas we have the 

 Doctor's authority for saying, that the variety found in England, similar 

 to that observed in Lorrain, is probably the male, or variety of the 

 lagopus, as suggested by Bechstein. Many ornithologists have also 

 been of opinion that the booted falcon (Falco pennatus) is a variety of 

 this species, to which it bears a close resemblance in size and colour. 

 It may be readily distinguished, however, by the size and form of the 

 bill, and the uniform brown colour of the tail, which, in the Rough- 

 legged Buzzard, is always white at the base. In autumn and winter 

 they retire to the north of Europe, and sometimes to Holland. " The 

 nest," says Temminck, "is built on some lofty tree, where it lays four 

 eggs, spotted with reddish brown."* 



ROYSTON CROW.— A name for the Chough. 



RUDDOCK.— A name for the Redbreast. 



RUFF (Tringa pugnaoc> Linnaeus.) 



Tringa pugnax, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 147. 1. — Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 669 Lath. Ind. Orn. 



2. p. 725. 1. — Ttaii, Syn. p. 107. A. 3 Will. p. 224. t. 56.— Briss. 5. p. 240. 



18. t. 22. f. 1. 2.— lb. 8vo. 2. p. 273.— Flem. Br. Anim. p. 110.— Combattant, 



ou Paon de Mer, Buff. Ois. 7. p. 521. t. 29. 39 Machetes, Cuo. Reg. Anim. 



—Ruff and Reeve, Br. Zool. 2. No. 192. t. 69.— Ib. fol. 123. t. E.— Arct. Zool. 

 2. p. 479. A. — Will. (Angl.) p. 302. t. 56.—Albin. 1. t. 72. 73.— Lath. Syn. 5. 

 p. 159. 1 — Lewins Br. Birds, 5. t. 106.— Wale. Syn. 2. t. 144.— Don. Br. 

 Birds, t. 19.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. p. 95. 



FEMALE AND YOUNG. 



Tringa littorea, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 677.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 731. 15.— Tringa Gre- 



novicentis, Greenwich Sandpiper, Ib. 2. 731. 16. and Syn. Supp. 1. p. 249 



Shore Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. p. 171. — Totanus cinereus, Briss. 5. 203. 17. 2. 

 Tringa equestris, Equestrian Sandpiper, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 730. 14. — Gam- 

 bet, and Yellow-legged Sandpiper, Mont. Orn. Diet. Ib. Supp. and App. 



This singular species is in length about one foot ; bill yellow- 

 ish, in some black ; irides hazel : the face is covered with yellow 

 pimples ; on the back part of the neck the feathers are very long, and 



