On the Russian Arctic Expedition of 1900-1903. 593 



XXIX. — Oil the Russian Arctic Expedition 0/ 1900-1903. — 

 Part II.* By H. E. Dresser, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



Tringa canutus. — The Knot was first seen in MiddendorfF 

 Bay on the autumn migration. At the Sarja roadstead on 

 the Western Taimyr it arrived from the 25th or 26th of May 

 to the 7th or 8th of June and numbers bred there, as 

 recorded in Dr. Walter^s notes, where full particulars of the 

 iiidification of t'nis species are given. Mr, Birulia states 

 that the incubation-period is from 20 to 25 days. From the 

 19th of July to the 1st of August (new style), fully fledged 

 young birds were seen, which, however, were not able to fly. 

 In New Siberia in 1902 the first Knots arrived apparently 

 in pairs, and commenced nidification at once. For the site 

 of its nest the bird selects an elevation in the tundra, but it 

 does not always choose a dry spot, as Mr. Birulia found one 

 example on the Taimyr in a damp place, surrounded by 

 pools of water. The nest is a round hollow in the turf about 

 11 cm. in diameter and from 7 to 8 cm, in depth, but is well 

 lined with lichen until the depth is reduced to about 5 cm. 

 The material consists chiefly of Thomnolia vermicularis or 

 less frequently of Dufourea arctica, as is also the case in the 

 nests of other Waders. These lichens, being tubular and 

 filled Avith air, are especially suitable as composing an 

 isolating layer above the frozen ground. Mr. Birulia found 

 the first nest on New Siberia on the 20th June/6th July, con- 

 taining a full clutch of four eggs much incubated, and soon 

 afterwards he saw young birds in down. The chicks are able 

 to run directly they are hatched, as Mr. Birulia found a nest 

 containing the shells of three eggs and a young bird just 

 emerging from the fourth : the three young birds were found 

 near the nest and had evidently left it on his approach. 

 They squat and hide immediately a stranger approaches, and 

 assimilate so well to the surrounding lichen that it is almost 

 impossible to discover them. When the young are hatched 

 the old birds conduct them from tKe lonely elevated portions 

 of the tundra to the valleys, where the vegetation is more 

 * Concluded from p. 517. 



