36 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
tnuio by IV. P, Dando^ F.Z.S."] 
DENHAM’S BUSTARD 
T/iis species^ nvhen 
Ruff. The importance of this ex- 
ception is still further increased by 
the fact that the change in coloration 
is accompanied by the development 
of a large frill around the neck, 
surmounted by two large tufts called 
“ ears,” and fleshy, brightly coloured 
warts around the beak. The coloured 
picture of the male in its spring dress, 
which will be found on another page, 
gives an admirable idea of the typical 
ruff, but it must necessarily fail to give 
any indication of one very remark- 
able fact concerning this frill and 
the two “ ears,” and for this reason — - 
no two individuals ever have these 
peculiar feathers of the same colora- 
tion and pattern. The range of colour 
is certainly not great — the changes 
being rung, so to speak, on black, 
white, chestnut, bay, and ash-colour. 
Diversification is gained by contrasting 
the “ears” with the frill, and adding 
\_Reg,nt's Park qj. sp-gaks to tlic light coloi'ation, 
and purple, green, and violet reflec-, 
tions to the dark. These- ornaments , 
are donned in a surprisingly short, 
space of time, and are discarded as quickly, for they are scarcely completed by the month 
of May, and are thrown off again at the end of June. During the time that this resplendent 
livery is worn the males engage in mimic battles — which may occasionally develop into real 
ones — arranged apparently for the edification of the females, which, it seems, select as partners, 
at least for that season, those which please or excite most. This power of pleasing must 
certainly be considerable, for 
the ruff is a polygamous 
species. 
Formerly the ruff was 
a common bird in England, 
but the drainage of the 
fens and persecution have 
practically brought about its 
e.xtermination. 
At least two groups of 
plovers have succeeded in 
reversing the usual order of 
things in the matter of sexual 
plumage. These are the 
Phal.VROPFS — which are 
British birds — and the 
Tainted Snipe, in both of 
which the female is more . „ „ 
brightly coloured and some- 
what larger in size than the 
shoeing Jills the gullet ^vith air^ ha'ving no special air-- 
sac like the great bustard 
GREAT BUSTARDS 
The cock on the right is shoeing 
