6so THE KNOT. 



'i'lie typical brcedins;' range is Alaska, and Nolson fciund Ui(.-ni mating at 

 the mouth of the 'N'ukon about June ist. "Two (ir three males start in pursuit 

 of a female and away the}' go twisting and tiu'uing, here and there, o\'er 

 marsh and stream, with marvelous swiftness and dexterit\-. At short dis- 

 tances a male checks his Ihght for a moment to utter a strident pcct u ivcct ; 

 wcc-too, ivcc-tofl : then on he goes full tilt again. After they are mated, or 

 when a soluar\- male i)ays his devotions, they rise 13 or 20 \ards from the 

 ground, wdiere, lio\-ering upon r|ui\ering wings, the birds pour forth a lisping 

 but energetic and frec|uent musical song, which can be very im])erfectl\- ex- 

 pressed by the syllables [>cct-f>cct ; f^cc-trr-wce-too; ivcc-too; pcc-tcr-ivcc-too ; 

 pcc-tcr-ivcc-too ; ifcc-too; ivcc-too. This is the complete song, but freciuently 

 only fragments are sung, as when the bird is in pursuit of the female."^ 



The eggs, four in number, and closely resembling those of the Wilson 

 Snipe, are placed in a shallow depression formed 1>\' the ])ird's bod\' in the soft 

 moss which co\'ers the ground in that region. 



No. 259. 



KNOT. 



.\. O. U. Xo. 234. Tringa canutus Linn. 



Synonyms. — Roiu.n Snipi:. C,k\\ SnipE. 



Description. — Adult in summer: U]iperparts light gray, streaked centrally 

 with black (narrowly on crown and nape, Ijroadly on back and scapulars), and 

 varied irregularlv with some ochraceous buff; primary coverts and primaries 

 blackish, the latter with white shafts: upper tail-coverts with subterniinal U- or 

 \— shaped mailings of dusky; tail uniform, grayish brown; nnderparts in general 

 pale cinnamon-rufous ; cheeks and superciliary region washed witli same, and 

 dusky-streaked ; paler or white on belly ; crissuni, under tail-coverts, thighs, lin- 

 ing of wings, and sides white, — the last two and sides of breast more or less 

 dusky-barred; bill and feet greenish black. .Iditit in icintcr: .\bove plain ashy 

 gray; ujiper tail-coverts and tail as before; underparts white; the sides of neck, 

 fore-neck, and chest with faint dusky streaks, or irregular bars, and the sides 

 similarly barred. J)nniatiirc : Above, ashy gray, mottled with dusky on crown ; 

 with whitish edging and narrow submarginal dusky on feathers of back and scap- 

 ular region; the fore-breast flecked or streaked, but not barred, with dusky; 

 otherwise much as in winter iihnnage adult. Length 10.00-11.00 (254-270.4); 

 wing fi.50 fifis.O ; tail 2.31 (58.7) ; bill T.34 (34) ; tarsus 1.23 (31. 2). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin size; called "T^obin Snipe" from the cinnamon- 

 rufous of iircast (in sunimer) ; the largest of the Trini/ir: foiuid coastwise. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in W'ashingtim. Ncsf: on the gmund. Eggs: 

 only one specimen known, — that taken from liinl by Lieutenant Greely, near 



K. W. Xelsoil: -Rep. of Xatl. Hist. Colls. .M.lJe in .Maska. 187;- 



