THE WOCDCOCK. 313 
ot five in number, of a greenish-grey hue, speckled with small brown 
spots. In the autumn they frequent the sea-shore. Their size nearly 
equals that of the largest of Sandpipers. 
The Knots (Z7inga) have a bill as long as the head ; the toes di: 
vided, the back toe short ; the wings pointed ; plump round body. 
They frequent the sea-shore and salt. marshes, and, except by acci- 
dent, never venture far inland. They are natives of the Arctic Polar 
Circle, and visit our coasts in the spring and autumn. ‘They lay 
their eggs, four or five in number, in their northern retreats. 
The Dunlin (Zynga cindus) and the Stint (Zringa Temminckiis 
Vig 121.—lhe Common Woodcock. 
are species closely allied to the Sandpipers, differing but slightly 
in their habits and physical characteristics. In small flocks they 
visit all the coasts of Europe. Even an abundance of food does 
not suffice to keep them in the same locality ; for motion seems the 
law of their existence. 
The Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola, Fig. 121) has a very long, 
straight, and slender bill ; flattened head ; and the tarsi short. They 
live in the woods, and do not frequent the sea-shore or river-banks. 
From the snipes they differ in having the body fuller, the tibiz 
feathered at the joint, the tarsi shorter, the wings broader, and the 
bill firmer. They are also larger in size. 
The Woodcock inhabits during the summer the lofty wooded 
mountain-ranges of Central and Northern Europe. Driven by the 
