KNOT. 000 
Newcome has one in winter plumage, killed in Hock- 
wold Fen. In the cold backward spring of 1864, they 
were also plentiful at Yarmouth, but singularly enough 
in May, 1866, when the bar-tailed godwits, in fine sum- 
mer plumage, were so numerous on Breydon, scarcely 
any knots were seen. In 1857, Mr. Dowell saw three 
at Blakeney, in company with dunlins, on the 27th of 
April, which still retained their full winter dress. A few 
stragglers of this species, as of sanderlings and other 
shore birds that never breed in Norfolk, may be met 
with occasionally throughout the summer months, as 
I have known specimens procured both in June and 
July ; and in the second week of June, 1863, I saw one 
at Hunstanton, with a small flock of dunlins. 
Inspite of the high northern latitudes to which 
these birds betake themselves for breeding purposes, 
and their late stay on our shores, the return passage is 
commenced very early in autumn. By the 9th of 
August Mr. Dowell has observed both young and old 
in Blakeney harbour, and I have known the young 
birds of the year killed at Yarmouth on the 16th; 
the time of their arrival, however, varies much in 
different seasons. From Mr. Dowell’s notes, I find that 
in 1846 they began to arrive at Blakeney about the 
20th of September, but in 1847 scarcely a bird had 
been seen before the 5th of November. On the 9th of 
September, 1848, he shot twenty-eight, and might 
have killed many more, as they made their appearance 
in small flocks of from five to twenty, and were very 
tame. In 1850 very few were seen in the harbour at 
Blakeney until the first week of December, “ when 
flocks of many thousands appeared on the west sands.” 
Again in August, 1853, towards the end of the month, 
they were very numerous in lots of from five to a 
hundred. The first flights are described by Mr. Dowell 
as by no means difficult of approach, “but as the season 
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