THE BIRDS OF IIETJOOLAND 499 



thirteen of thorn roniaincd nneonucrncdiy at a distance of about 

 twenty paces from where I was standing. 1 behove I could have 

 killed the lot with one shot, for they were standing in close file, 

 one behind the other, on the perfectly smooth sand, the rising tide 

 just wetting thoir foot. Since, however, it is my rule never to kill 

 any creature — bird, butterfly or beetle — unless for scientific or 

 culinary purposes, these trustful children of the bird-world had no 

 harm to fear from me. 



The breeding range of the Oystercatcher extends from Ireland 

 and the Hebrides to the Kurile Islands, and in Scandinavia up to 

 the North Capo. 



Sandpiper — Tringa. — This genus embraces about twenty species 

 which are distributed at their breeding haunts over all the countries 

 of the northern hemisphere, and are met with during the winter 

 months not only in southern Africa but also in South America, 

 Australia, and New Zealand. The nine European species visit 

 Heligoland, almost all in quantities, besides which an American 

 species, Tringa rufescens, has once been shot on the island. This 

 species, besides several other American species, T. honapartci, 

 T. pectoralis, and T. pusilla, have also been obtained rather 

 frequently in England. 



291. — Knot [Isl;vndischer Strandlaufer]. 

 TRINGA ISLANDICA, Gmelin.' 

 Heligoland ish : Knott. Name for this species. 

 Tringa islandica. Nauinann, vii. 372. 



Knot. Dresser, viii. 77. 



BicasseaxL canut. Teinminck, Manuel, ii. 627, iv. 409. 



No species offers so striking a proof of the enormous distances 

 which birds can accomplish during their migratory journoj-s; 

 while its most southern nesting stations are only a few degrees 

 distant from the North Pole, it appears as though its chief breeding 

 area, like that of so many other species, coidd only be situated on 

 some extensive island or continent .somewhere in the great North 

 Polar Sea. Captain Feilden observed the birds for the first time, 

 on the 5th of June 1876, near Knot Harbour, Crinnell Land, in 

 lat. 82 N. ; but in spite of the most energetic search lie did not 

 succeed in discovering the nest or eggs. 



Now, from these high laliluiles this species travels not only 

 down to S<iuth Africa and Asia, but it has been met with in winter 



' Trinija canulus, Linn. 



