KNOT. 419 



tail-coverts, white, tinged with red and spotted with black ; 

 legs, toes, and claws, blackish. 



The whole length of an adult bird is ten inches ; from 

 the carpal joint to the end of the first quill-feather, which is 

 the longest in the wing, six inches and a half. Average 

 weight 4:^ oz. 



Young birds of the year in autumn have the upper surface 

 of the body ash-grey, each feather with two narrow half- 

 circular bands near the end, the first of greyish-black, the 

 ultimate band buffy- white, later in the season pure white ; 

 the neck white, streaked with grey ; the breast dull white, 

 tinged with reddish-buff. 



Adult birds in winter have all the upper surface of the 

 body and the wing-coverts uniform ash-grey ; wing-primaries 

 as in summer ; all the front of the neck, the breast, and 

 under surface of the body, white, slightly streaked with 

 grey. The tarsi and feet are then greenish, owing to which 

 the birds are known in Norfolk by the redundant epithet of 

 "green-legged shanks." 



The newly-hatched bird is described by Major Feilden as 

 follows: — "Iris black; tip of mandibles dark brown, bill 

 dark olive ; toes black, soles of feet greenish-yellow ; back 

 of legs the same ; under part of throat satin-white ; back 

 beautifully mottled tortoise-shell" (Ibis, 1877, p. 408). 





