OF THE BBITISH ISLANDS. 245 



Mr. Cordeaux suggests. A few odd birds remain in the south all the summer, as 

 is usual with many species of Waders. The great haunts of the Knot during its 

 stay in our Islands are the low-lying shores of the east coast of England, the vast 

 mud-flats and estuaries, salt marshes and sandy reaches which afford the bird an 

 ample and constant supply of food. Great numbers are caught in the flight nets 

 of the Wash during October, as they fly low across the shallow sea ; many 

 others visit the lighthouses during migration. Upon their arrival they are 

 often absurdly tame, especially the odd birds that have got separated from 

 the flocks, and I have actually caught them with the hand in the narrow 

 dykes that spread like nets over the muds and marshes. They are very gre- 

 garious and social birds, and often mingle with Dunlins. The Knots keep well 

 together whilst feeding, with heads all turned in the same direction, and cover a 

 good stretch of shore in a very short time, as they are always on the move. If 

 the flock be very large, some of the birds are almost constantly in the air, flying 

 over the heads of their companions, as if eager to get the first look over the 

 ground. They seldom admit of a very close approach, and when alarmed rise 

 almost simultaneously, and often wheel about, or go out to sea for a little way 

 before alighting again. The Knot more frequently runs with short quick steps 

 than walks, and flies rapidly and well. When their appetite is satisfied, the entire 

 flock often stand for a long time on a certain spot and preen their plumage, but 

 even then they are restless, and it is very rarely that all the birds are still at once. 

 They feed as much by night as by day, especially when there is a bright moon, 

 and shift their ground a good deal according to the state of the tide. They are 

 remarkably silent birds, although the note at the breeding quarters is described 

 by Captain Feilden as a wild Curlew-like cry. The food of the Knot is composed 

 of crustaceans, sand worms, insects, mollusks, and other small marine animals. 

 In summer it chiefly consists of insects and their larvae, buds of the saxifrage, bits 

 of algae, and probably ground fruits. The flesh of the Knot is very palatable, as I 

 know from oft-repeated experience, and in autumn the bird is often surprisingly fat. 



Nidification. The eggs of the Knot are unknown to science; but the 

 downy young were obtained by Mr. Hart, the naturalist attached to the Discovery, 

 during the last British Polar Expedition. The Knot evidently arrives at its 

 nesting grounds in flocks, for a party of fourteen were noticed by Captain Feilden 

 near Knot Harbour, in Grinnell Land, on June 5th. They are described as being 

 always wild and difficult to approach. Pairing began immediately after their 

 arrival, and two males were occasionally seen in chase of a female. During this 

 period they indulged in flights something like those of the Common Snipe, and 

 when descending elevated their wings and beat them together, making a whirring 

 sound, and occasionally uttering a flute-like whistle. The birds were observed at 

 some distance from the coast, feeding near the swamps and pools of this desolate 

 land. The young chicks were hatched by July llth ; and when menaced by 



