226 



THE ANIMALS OF NEW ZEALAND 



The knot is yet another northern bird which, after breeding in 

 Siberia, travels southwards across the Equator. Its summer 

 plumage is very different from its winter plumage, which it 

 assumes in September, and retains until ]\Iay. In Canterbury, it 

 appears in November, and leaves about April, thus remaining 

 all through our summer. Generally the birds are in their winter 

 plumage here, but there are two specimens in the Canterbury 



Knot : breeding plumage. 



Museum in summer plmnage. One of these was shot on April 

 2ud, and the other in November, 1899, the latter being in company 

 with others in which the summer plumage is just beginning to 

 show. They were shot at Lake Ellesmere. Mr. John Gould 

 mentions a bird from Queensland, shot on September 2nd,. 

 1861, as changing into summer plumage. It seems, therefore, 

 that some birds have changed the seasons for moulting, and put 

 on their breeding-dress in our summer, and it is probable that 

 these birds breed in New Zealand, although they are not Imowii 

 to remain here through the winter. 



