which it has come under my notice in this species had
no connection with parental instinct. The curious collar
or ruff of feathers of the male birds is fully developed by
the middle of May (I write of birds in captivity), and is
carried throughout June. I have found that this species
thrives remarkably well in our aviaries in ordinary
weather, but cannot bear severe frost; the actions and
attitudes of the males are most amusing and grotesque,
and both sexes become very tame. It would take at
least half a dozen plates to display even the most
ordinary varieties of the nuptial plumage of the Ruff, in
fact it would be difficult in May or June to find two
males precisely alike. The principal figure in the first of
the accompanying Plates is an excellent portrait of a
specimen in the aviary at Lilford, in his full summer
“ glory.” The difference of size and weight of the two
sexes is very remarkable, for whilst a wild Ruff in
August and September will generally pull down from
7 to 8 oz. (often a good deal more), it is exceptional to
meet with a Reeve that weighs 6 oz., and I have a
specimen of the latter killed in perfect condition at
Corfu in the autumn that weighed just oz.