Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 543 



along the glacial shores of Grant Land, remarks in his 

 narrative under date 19th of June, ''The 0-o-o-he, 0-o-o-hc 

 of the Purple Sandpiper was constantly in our ears." How 

 closely this description of the breeding-note of the Knot 

 agrees with my observations made in the same area and at 

 the same time of the year. " Knots were rather more 

 abundant ; their cry reminded me somewhat of the Curlew, 

 Numenius arquata. The nearest approach that I can make 

 to describing the note are the words ' tuilawee, tullawce, 

 whee, whee,' repeated over and over again; the last two 

 notes are much prolonged and sound very mournfully. 

 When these birds were mating I frequently saw a female 

 pursued in the air by a couple of males at the same time. 

 The Knot has not the power of drumming like the Common 

 Snipe, but after soaring in mid-air with outspread pinions was 

 observed frequently to descend to the ground. During this 

 descent the wings are beaten over the back with such rapid 

 motion that a loud whirring noise is produced, which can be 

 heard at some distance; this action is confined to the males 

 and to the period of courtship." (' Zoologist/ 1877.) Hart 

 remarks: ''When courting, Knots play with one another 

 upon the wing, and upon the ground, in a most entertaining 

 manner, pursuing, avoiding, and encouraging one another ; 

 while the clear, sweet flute-like whistle of the male is 

 frequently heard." ('Zoologist,' 1880.) I am well ac- 

 quainted with the Purple Sandpiper, Tringa striata, in its 

 breeding-haunts, in various parts, but its note has not the 

 slightest resemblance to that of the Knot as recorded by 

 Hart, Peary, and myself. May I be permitted to add a list 

 of the birds, confining it exclusively to those met with 

 between the 82° and 83° N.L., in the north of Grant Land, 

 which I observed there in 1875-76, which considerably 

 exceeds in number those noted by Commander Peary? Be 

 it remembered, however, that the great Arctic explorer only 

 incidentally refers to the birds he met with during an 

 extended summer journey of exploration, whilst it was my 

 duty to make the fullest and most accurate list attainable. 

 If my list largely exceeds that of Peary, it was due to the 



