AMERICAN KNOT 133 



The knot is less common in the interior, but Prof. William Rowan 

 evidently regards it as a regular migrant in Alberta during the latter 

 part of May; his notes record a flock of about 200 on May 21 and one 

 of over 150 on May 23. 



It seems to be a comparatively rare migrant on the coast of Cali- 

 fornia, where it never was abundant. But it still occurs in large 

 numbers on the coast of Washington. In some notes from Gray's Har- 

 bor, sent to me by D. E. Brown, he mentions a flock of over 500 birds 

 seen on May 14, 1920. And S. F. Rathbun has sent me the following 

 notes : 



Late on the afternoon of May 16, 1921, we were on the south side of Gray's 

 Harbor, "Washington, on a marsh meadow bordered by the tide flats. At this 

 hour the tide was nearly at its full, and the many shore birds that had 

 been feeding on the flats were forced to retreat before the incoming waters and 

 in consequence were driven close to the edge of the meadow. Not far from 

 where we lay concealed a very large number of these had assembled on a 

 somewhat elevated stretch of ground near the meadows border, among them 

 being several hundred of the knots, these in two or three compact flocks all 

 the individuals of which were facing the wind. The knots were resting 

 quietly although there was much movement going on among the shore birds. 

 We could easily by the aid of our glasses, see many turnstones, a few greater 

 yellow-legs, these keeping by themselves, and in the shallow water at the edge 

 of the flats a very large number of red-backed sandpipers and long-billed dow- 

 itchers, flanked by an immense flock of the smaller sandpipers. At this time the 

 sun was low in the west and its almost horizontal rays fell full on the breasts 

 of the knots, for in facing the wind they happened to be turned toward the 

 sun, whose light intensified the pale cinnamon of their breasts, this making a 

 beautiful sight. 



Without any warning nearly all of this mass of birds suddenly took wing. 

 As they rose, the knots keeping by themselves separated into three compact 

 flocks and rising high in the air then flew directly towards the north giving 

 their calls as they did so, and this appears to be ;i habit of the species when 

 taking wing. Again, the knot does not appear to fly aimlessly about as do 

 many other of the shore birds, and is generally to be seen in flocks, the indi- 

 viduals of which are closely associated, although at times scattering birds will 

 be observed ; and in flight by the seeming course a flock will pursue, we always 

 receive an impression that it has some objective point in view. 



Dr. W. E. Ekblaw has sent me some very full notes on the habits 

 of the knot in northwestern Greenland in which he says : 



The knot is one of the commoner shore birds of northwest Greenland, but 

 even so, not numerous anywhere. It arrives in the land as early as the end 

 of May, for early in the spring of 1915 when my two Eskimos, Esayoo and 

 Etukashoo, and I were encamped at Fort Conger on Discovery Harbor in 

 latitude 81° 45' N., we heard the keen call of the knots flying over our camp 

 the afternoon of May 30. The first knots that come are generally in small 

 flocks, but they soon mate and scatter to their nesting places, only a few com- 

 ing together from time to time near the favorite feeding places. If the weather 

 of early June be inclement the flocks do not scatter so soon, but remain together 

 until the conditions become favorable for mating and nesting. It is quite 

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