BIRDS OF ICELAND 101 



from its Arctic breeding-grounds in the extreme north 

 of America. No naturalist, as far as I am aware, has 

 ever seen it inland in Iceland during the breeding 

 season, or in any place where there was the least 

 likelihood of its nesting, so that Faber's surmise that 

 it would probably be found breeding on the uplands 

 in Iceland remains unfulfilled, and is likely to. 



The Knot reaches Iceland about the end of May, 

 and soon moves on. At this time it has light chestnut 

 underparts ; black back, the feathers bordered with 

 white and spotted with chestnut ; head and hind neck 

 dull red with dusky streaks. Length 10 inches, wing 

 6 J inches. The winter dress, and that of the young 

 in their first autumn, are totally unlike that of the 

 summer. See Saunders' Manual, or British Birds, their 

 Nests and Eggs. 



Calidris arenaria (Linn.). Sanderling. 



Native name : ' Sanderla.' 



A passing migrant in some numbers in spring and 

 autumn, on its way to and from its breeding-grounds 

 in Greenland and Arctic America. It also breeds in 

 the extreme north of Asia. Howard Saunders opines 

 that 'it undoubtedly nests in some districts of Iceland.' 

 I personally hardly know what to say. In the Ihis for 

 1886 (p. 50) I described the discovery of a nest which 

 we were confident was a Sanderling's. I knew the 

 Sanderling familiarly enough, and followed the parent 

 which left the nest for a hundred yards or more. 



