108 BRITISH SEX BIRDS: 
the Royal Dane’s great liking for its flesh. The 
bird continued to be so closely associated with the 
king by successive writers, that Linnaeus followed 
them in applying the specific name of caxutus to 
the Knot, which is still retained by the majority 
of naturalists. 
The migrations of the Knot are very marked 
and regular. The bird begins to arrive on the 
British coasts early in August, and from then to the 
end of October a nearly constant stream pours 
upon them, reaching its greatest volume in Sep- 
tember. By far the greater number pass on to still 
more southern haunts, but a sufficiently large 
portion remain to winter as to render the species 
one of the most familiar of Limicoline forms to 
habitues of the coast. The return migration 
begins on our coasts in April, and continues 
throughout May. The principal haunts of the 
Knot in the British Islands are situated on the 
eastern and south-eastern coasts. Mud-flats, salt- 
marshes, wide, expansive sands, and big estuaries, 
are the spots where Knots most do congregate, for 
these furnish it with a constant supply of food. 
Ten years ago, I remember, great numbers of 
Knots used to be caught in the flight-nets on the 
Wash, during October and November, but the 
numbers of late years have considerably decreased. 
The Knot is not only very gregarious, but social, 
and often mixes with companies of other waders. 
When feeding Knots keep close together, generally 
