SCOLOPACIDAE—SANDPIPERS. 249
Ruff: Machetes pugnax (Female, Reeve).
Not uncommon on our coast as a passing migrant in spring and
autumn. Doubtless it once bred commonly in Essex, but I am not
aware of more than one actual record of its having done so.
In the Parsons Collection are two Reeves shot out of a small party in the
Lower Fleet, New England, on May 17th, 1833 ; also a young Ruff in autumn
plumage, shot on Ringwood Saltings, Foulness Island, on Sept. 27th, 1838.
Parsons seems to have met with it commonly in summer in his time, as he
writes (13. ii. 199) : "The variety [of plumage] in summer is almost infinite
* * * The beginning of May will be found the best time for getting the males in
perfection." Mr. J. F. T. Wiseman informs me that he shot a pair by a double
shot on the Little Wakering Marshes in 1872. One was shot on some marshes
in South Essex in Sept, 1887. Round Harwich, "a few are usually seen in the
autumn." A Reeve was shot out of a flock of seven on the Ramsey Marshes on
June 16th, 1888,* and two were seen and one shot in 1889 (Kerry). Mr. Hope
has a male shot on Colne Beach in the spring of 1874, and another shot on
Rainham Marshes on Aug. 17th, 1888. A young Reeve was shot on Nov. 6th,
1888, near Paglesham (Wiseman).
The Rev. J. C. Atkinson, in reply to my enquiry whether he ever in his early
days heard of the breeding of this bird in Essex, writes:
" Yes, I did hear of the Ruff breeding on the Tollesbury Marshes, and not
far from the land end of Shingle Hill. But I did not know it of my own know-
ledge. My reminiscence is that it had been known to breed there on divers oc-
casions. You see I have two sets of recollections, so to speak, my own and my
father's." This must have been more than sixty years ago.
Sanderling : Calidris arenaria. Locally, " Curwillet" and
"Towilly."
A not uncommon spring and autumn migrant, and to some extent
also a winter visitor.
Mr. Parsons has
various notes on
this species (22).
On May 23rd, 1837,
he shot one of a
pair, and saw a party
of six on Foulness
Ridge, and on the
following day an-
other in fine sum-
mer plumage. Mr.
Bond met with a
few at Southend
early in Sept. 1842
(23. 40). In 1851,
Lindsey wrote (27.
App. 53): it "is
tolerably common
* It is difficult to account for a flock of Reeves being about at this date, but there can be no
doubt about the bird, which has been submitted to Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun.