34 Mackay on the Knot. l^an 



I have also a male taken Aug. 17, 1889, by N. E. Gould on 

 Cape Cod ; the whole lower parts of this bird from the bill to the 

 abdomen are cinnamon red. Mr. Henry W. Abbot and Mr. 

 Richard D. Ware, of Boston, visited the Magdalen Islands the 

 past summer. On Aug. 23, 1892, they shot a full-plumaged 

 Knot ; on Aug. 30 two more were obtained with full red breasts 

 and mottled backs ; on Sept. 5 still another full-plumaged bird was 

 taken. There were in addition two or three others in similar 

 plumage which they secured, but for which the exact dates cannot 

 be fixed. In Mr. Brewster's collection are six Knots all of which 

 were shot on May 11, 1885, in South Carolina; one of them is 

 all gray above and white underneath ; one is of a deep vinaceous 

 cinnamon on the underparts from the bill to the abdomen ; and 

 four are in varying stages of plumage between. It is an interest- 

 ing little group, showing the development of plumage, on the 

 same date, of birds of different ages. 



I append some notes taken by an old shooting friend, Mr. 

 Augustus Denton, which he gave me in 1877; those for the 

 last five years are my own. They are for Cape Cod, Mass., 

 unless otherwise specified. They serve to indicate the move- 

 ment of the Knots northward in the spring. 



1858, May 27. — First birds shot; most on the 31st. 



of" > ■ — Practically the same as above. 



1861, May 27. — First birds shot. 

 1862. — Very few birds. 



1863, May 27. — First birds shot. 



1864, May 27. — First birds shot. 



1865, May 26. — First birds shot. Some birds in August, shot 26 this 

 month. 



1866. — Very few birds. 



1867, May 27. — First birds shot; most on the 29th and 31st. 

 1S68, May 23. — First birds shot; most on the 27th to 30th. 

 1869, May 27. — First birds shot, only very few birds. 

 1870. — Law prohibiting shooting in the spring. 



1871, May 17. — First birds shot, earliest I have ever known them to 

 appear, best shooting up to the 20th. A good many birds in August. Law 

 prohibiting spring shooting repealed. 



1872, May 25. — First birds shot, numerous this year. 



1873, May 19. — First birds shot, abundant until the 31st. 



1874, May. — Best shooting up to the 29th. Few birds in August. 



1875, May 14. — First birds shot, best shooting 29th. Few birds in 

 August. 



