THE KNOT. 



TRINGA CANUTUS. 



Beak straight, a little longer than the head, much dilated towards the tip ; tail 

 even at the extremity ; a small part of the tibia naked. Winter — Throat and 

 abdomen ■white ; breast and flanks white, barred with ash-broA\Ti ; upper 

 plumage ash-grey, mottled with brown ; wing-coverts tipped with white ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts white, with black crescents ; bill and legs greenish 

 black. Summer — Streak over the eye, nape, and all the under plumage, rusty- 

 red, the nape streaked with black ; back streaked and spotted with black, red, 

 and grey. The upper plumage of young birds is mottled with reddish bro-\ATi, 

 grey, black, and dull white ; legs dull green. Length ten inches. Eggs unknown. 



The Knot, Willughby informs us, is so called from having 

 been a favourite dish of King Canutus, or Knute. It is a 

 migratory bird, visiting the coasts of Great Britain early in 

 autumn, and remaining here till sjDring, when it retires 

 northwards to breed. During the intervening months it 

 keeps exclusively to the sandy or muddy sea-shore, assem- 

 bling in small flocks, and mixing freely with Dunlins, 

 Sanderlings, and Purple Sandpipers. Some authors state 

 that it feeds principally early and late in the day, and 

 during moonlight nights ; but I have seen it on the 

 coast of Norfolk in winter feeding at all hours of the day 



