THE KNOT. 651 
Fort Conger; described as “light pea-green, closely spotted with brown in small 
specks about the size of a pin-head.” Size, 1.10 x 1.00 (27.9 x 25.4). 
General Range.—Nearly cosmopolitan. Breeds in high northern latitudes, 
but visits the southern hemisphere during its migrations. 
Range in Washington.—Not common migrant, chiefly coastwise. 
Migrations.—Spring: May; Moses Lake, May 14, 1906. Fall: July- 
August; Point Grenville, July 9, 1906. 
Authorities.—Rhoads, Auk, X. Jan. 1893, p. 17. B. 
Specimens.—Prov. B. 
“WHEN King Canute, or Knut, had dined on a dish of strange coast- 
faring birds, he was gracious enough to express to his blushing chef the royal 
appreciation of the flavor. Whereupon the eager courtiers dubbed the waders 
Knuts, or Knots,-and so they have come down to us—at least so Pennant says; 
and Linnzeus, not over-serious (he was a busy man with all of Adam’s task to 
finish ) accepted the tradition in ‘Tringa canutus.’ It is certainly fitting that these 
birds of the farthest north should bear the name of some hardy Norseman. 
“IXnots had swept down the roaring coasts for centuries, but the mystery 
was, Where do they come from? Sir So-and-so was charged to bring back 
with him from the algid North, along with sundry information about the tides, 
and temperatures, and short cuts to China, a set of Knot’s eggs; but he came 
back empty-handed. Grizzled sea-captains said, ‘Lo, here! lo there! they breed’ ; 
but the eggs were not forthcoming. Finally, it was left for our own Lieutenant 
Greely to bring back the first authentic specimen, one taken near Fort Conger, 
Lat. 81° 44, North, together with the parent bird. Verily, if we were Knots 
even baby Knots, we might stand some show of reaching the North Pole” 
(The Birds of Ohio). 
The Robin Snipe are found chiefly coastwise, but they are much more 
common on the Atlantic seaboard than along our shores; in fact, in spite of 
Fannin’s comment, “Abundant during migrations,’ we hardly count them less 
than rare on Puget Sound. They move singly or in small flocks, and may be 
found on the mud flats as well as sandy beaches. The plain dark coloration of 
an adult does not attract attention at a distance, but it is often associated in 
feeding and in flight with more brightly colored birds, notably the ‘Turnstone 
(Arenaria morinella). It is moreover, one of the least suspicious of the larger 
shore birds and decoys readily to any whistle of its genus, even tho the gunner 
be standing in plain sight. 
The Knots feed chiefly upon aquatic insects, crustaceans, and small bi- 
valves. These it secures chiefly from the wake of the receding wave, but it 
swims also with ease, and does not fear a little buffeting on the part of the 
