442 RUFF. 



There requires no more argument in support of an opinion, that 

 these birds come from the south to visit us, and other northern latitudes, 

 in the breeding- season, and return again south to winter, than that 

 from whatever quarter the woodcocks come in their annual migration, 

 by the same route do they return, and not in an opposite direction. 

 There can be no doubt that all migrative birds who come to us in the 

 breeding season, come from more northern latitudes : those migrating 

 species which are found to inhabit this island and similar latitudes in 

 winter, retire more north to perform the great dictates of nature. We 

 may be assured the Ruff is no more to be met with in such latitudes as 

 England during the winter months, than the woodcock is in the sum- 

 mer ; for we must conclude such a phenomenon as an accidental appear- 

 ance of either out of their respective seasons, to be occasioned by defect 

 or indisposition in the usual migrative months. 



Latitudinal influence is the sole cause of such periodical flights, not 

 longitudinal ; no birds bend their course east or west, however they may 

 veer a little by instinct to avoid difficulties, or may be driven by tem- 

 pests out of their natural course. 



The Ruff visits much higher latitudes on the continent in the 

 breeding season than any part of England : it breeds in the swamps of 

 Lapland and Siberia, but perhaps does not find its way so far westward 

 as Iceland ; nor have we heard of it so far in that direction as our 

 neighbouring and sister kingdom, Ireland. At present the few, com- 

 paratively speaking, that visit Great Britain, confine themselves in 

 the breeding season to the eastern parts, where the only extensive fens 

 remain that are congenial to their habits : we are, however, assured, on 

 the authority of a very old sportsman, that they were not uncommon 

 in the fens about Bridge water, in Somersetshire, before they were 

 drained and enclosed. And in a tour through Lincolnshire, during 

 which we took every means in our power, to become intimately ac- 

 quainted with all the history of this singular species that could be 

 obtained, we found that they were become much more scarce than 

 they were before a large tract of the fens were drained and enclosed ; 

 and will, as agriculture increases, be entirely driven from the island. 

 A few Ruff's are still found about Crowland, but the north fen near 

 Spalding, and the east and west fens between Boston and Spilsby, are 

 the only parts that appear to produce them with certainty, though 

 there they are by no means plentiful. 



The trade of catching Ruff's is confined to a very few persons, and 

 at present scarcely repays their trouble and expense of nets. These 

 people live in obscure places on the verge of the fens, and are found out 



