TRINGA CANUTUS. 207 
formed as stated by Dr. Finsch (fom. eit. p- 204). All these eges also 
generally agree very well with the specimens obtained by Colonel Feilden, 
24 June, 1876. (Cf. Nares, ‘Narrative of a Voyage to the Polar Sea,’ ii. 
pp- 210, 211, pl. i.)] 
TRINGA CANUTUS, Linneeus. 
KNOT. 
[§ 3966. Ore—Liiford Aviary, 14 June, 1893. From Lord 
Lilford. 
With this egg Lord Lilford wrote to me on the 14th June, 1893:—“I am 
sending you an egg found in the aviary this morning by Cosgrave. It is un- 
fortunately cracked, but what the dealers call a fair cabinet specimen. I fear 
that it must be a Reeve’s production, but it strikes me as very small for that 
species, and not like my recollection of its egg. The only other possible 
(parent) birds in the compartment are Knots, a pair of Australian Wattled 
Peewits (of which I sent you eggs last year), and a solitary Cayenne Lapwing, 
but I feel certain that this egg belongs to neither of the latter birds—can it be 
T. canutus?” Comparing the egg with a series of about one hundred and fifty 
Reeves’, I found, as indeed I had judged from the first sight of it, that it was not 
at all at home among them, and the nearest likeness I could see was to one 
or two very dark Turnstones’. The possibility of its being from either of the 
Plovers named was, of course, out of the question. I accordingly wrote to that 
effect to Lord Lilford, who replied the next day—‘* About the ege (which is 
yours, be it what it may) I have very little doubt, as although some of my 
teeves have laid in previous years, they have generally attempted some fashion 
of nest, and I have never seen an egg of theirs that in size or markings resembled 
this. I have only one Turnstone, and he, or she, is not in the compartment in 
which this egg was found. For the first time in my pretty long experience with 
Knots in the aviaries, I this year observed symptoms of sexual excitement 
among them, and they have all been here since December, 1884...... Per 
contra I have repeatedly seen the Rufls em coctw with their proper mates, and 
have net actually seen the Knots consummate the act.” On coming to inscribe 
this egr a few days after, I was sorry to see that it had lost much of the 
bright green hue it had when it first reached me, presumably the day after 
it was laid, when it reminded me as to ground-colour of a fresh Spotted Red- 
shank’s (the green form), and had now become more olive, though it was still 
a rather striking egg with a good deal of character about it. It was not only 
quite possibly a Knot’s, but I believe it was one, though proof may never be 
obtainable. It measures 1°65 inch by 1-2 inch or nearly so. 
. On the 6th of July, 1893, I was at Lilford, and visited the aviary in which 
this egg was laid. The Knots were about a dozen in number, none of them 
in very bright plumage, but still red enough. Cosgrave, the man who looks 
after the birds, whom his master considers a credible witness, told me that he 
had more than once seen Knots trying to tread, if not 7 co’tu. No Reeve had 
that year attempted to make a nest as they usually do, nor had the Australian 
