182 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



was in immature dress and probably the entire flock was composed of non- 

 breeding birds. Another specimen of the Knot was found in the Kent 

 Scientific Museum (No. 20215), said to have been collected by Thomas 

 Harmer, but without other data. We have two well mounted specimens 

 in the Agricultural College Museum, taken by Albert Hirzel, at Forestville, 

 Sanilac county, June 20, 1903; Norman A. Wood saw two and secured 

 one on Charity Island, Saginaw Bay, September 1, 1910, and A. G. Ruthven 

 took three at Oak Point, south shore of Saginaw Bay, August 20-21, 1908 

 (Rep. Mich. Geol. and Biol. Surv., Pub. 4, Biol. Ser. 2, 1910, p. 280). 



The Knot is mentioned in Steere's list of 1880, and also in Stockwell's 

 list (Forest and Stream, VII, 22, 361). It is omitted from the Usts of 

 Sager, Cabot, Miles, Hughes, Trombley, and Boies. E. W. Nelson states 

 that it formerly occurred in migration along the shore of Lake Michigan 

 in northeastern Illinois (Bull. Nutt. Club, II, 1877, p. 68). In Wisconsin 

 it is said to have been a common migrant thirty years ago, in May and June, 

 and more sparingly in autumn; of late years decidedly rare at any season 

 (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 45). It has been taken also occasionally in 

 Ontario and Ohio, but is never common. 



In habits it is a typical sandpiper, preferring the sandy beach to all other 

 localities, though it often visits the salt marsh, and the shores of ponds 

 and creeks at a little distance inland. It is always a sociable species and 

 formerly was invariably seen in flocks, sometimes of large size. These 

 flew with great rapidity, usually following the outline of the beach only 

 a few yards from shore and often directly over the breakers. In feeding 

 the Knot runs swiftly along the beach, following the receding waves to pick 

 up the minute animals left stranded, and avoiding the returning waves 

 with great agility and skill. 



It nests in the far north — within the Arctic Circle. Only a single egg 

 is known, and that was taken near Ft. Conger, in latitude 81° 44' north, 

 by Lieut. A. W. Greely. It is light pea-green, closely spotted with brown 

 in small specks about the size of a pin head (Auk, II, 1885, 313). 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Wing more than six inches long; bill rather longer than head. Adult in svimmer: Light 

 gray above, more or less mottled with blackish and tinged with rusty; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts white, with numerous narrow blackish bars; under parts uniform light reddish 

 or cinnamon, palest on the belly; flanks and under tail-coverts often barred or streaked 

 with gray; a whitish stripe over the eye, often tinged with cinnamon. Adult in winter: 

 Similar, but upper parts plain gray, with few darker markings, except the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts, which are as in summer; imder parts white or grayish white, the neck, breast 

 and sides barred or streaked with dusky, and with little or no trace of the cinnamon. 

 Young similar to winter adult, but scapulars and back feathers edged with pure white, 

 with a sub-edging of black; the top of head and back of neck narrowly striped with dusky. 

 Length 10 to 11 inches; wing 6.50; cuhnen 1.30 to 1.40; tarsus about 1 25. 



96. Grass Snipe. Pisobia maculata (Vieill.). (239) 



Synonyms: Pectoral Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, Grass-bird, Meadow-snipe. — Tringa 

 maculata, Vieill , 1819, Cass., Baird., A. O. U. Check-list, 1895.— Actodromas maculata, 

 Coues, 18G1, Ridgw., 1881. — Tringa pectoralis, Say, Nutt., Aud. 



Figure 53. 



Known by its moderate size, gray-brown back, black rump and upper 

 tail-coverts, thickly streaked chest and throat, white chin and belly, and 

 bill not over IJ inches. 



