AUSTRALIAN LIMlCOLiE. 953 



and in Japan, the inference concerning the visits of the Knot to 

 the Australian region probably is, that it avoids an inland 

 migratory path from the far North, southward over the Asiatic 

 continent, and wanders as a comparative straggler from its 

 easternmost breeding-place in Siberia down the east coast of 

 Asia to Australia, passing probably over the Philippines and 

 New Guinea, where up to this time its presence has been 

 overlooked. As regards its location in Siberia in the breeding 

 season, Von MiddendorfF found a solitary example dead in 

 the Taimyr Peninsula, and it has also been procured on the 

 Amoor and in Dauria, so that there is, without doubt, as 

 remarked above, a small migratory stream through Eastern 

 Siberia towards the south. Turning to the west we find the 

 Knot more common in European and American Arctic 

 regions during the summer than it is in Siberia. Mr. 

 Saunders, in " Yarrell's British Birds," writes of it as common 

 in the British Isles and Western Europe during migration, 

 though less plentiful eastward of the Baltic. It passes 

 through Spain on passage to the south and wanders down 

 the west coast of Africa as far as Daniara Land. In eastern 

 Europe, as might be expected therefore, it is less common, 

 being rare on the Black Sea, but some individuals fiud their 

 way along the east coast of Africa, and have been found as 

 far inland as the Blue Nile. 



During the month of May it occurs in abundance in 

 Iceland, and is likewise a visitor in summer to South Green- 

 land, but further west its range extends to the extreme North, 

 for Sabine found it breeding in Melville Sound in 1820, and 

 during an expedition of the "Aler-t" and ^^ Discovery'' Major 

 H. M. Fielden met with this species in several localities, notably 

 in Grinnell Land (lat. 81° 44') and also at Discovery Bay. 

 At the former locality it was numerous, and newly-hatched 

 birds were procured by Mr. H. C. Hart, of the Alert, but no 

 eggs found. Its eggs have however since been obtained by 

 Lieut. Greely, A.S.N., who commanded the expedition to 

 Lady Franklin Sound, the locality behig Fort Conger 

 (lat. 81° 44'). It has likewise been said to breed farther south 

 on Hudson's Bay. Westward along the Arctic circle of the 

 New World it has been obtained at Point Barrow, on the 

 north coast of Alaska, and also on the west coast of that 

 country at the mouth of the Yukon. During migration it 

 passes down the continent, through Canada and the United 

 States, and wanders as far south as Brazil, where it was 

 obtained by Prince Maximilian, 



