

13 



our north coast in spring. I have known it killed in July in a 

 few instances, old birds apparently having bred. I have also 

 on one or two occasions met with young birds killed in August 

 on the Solway shores. Whether these are stragglers from Iceland 

 it is not for me to say ; but what becomes of the regular flights 

 from that country ? It is quite different with the Common God- 

 w it it is not known to breed in Iceland, neither is it known in 

 America ; but in September the young birds are sometimes com- 

 mon, and the species is to be found all through the winter and 

 till the spring months, some getting much spotted with red be- 

 fore leaving in April. Occasionally we even see them in red 

 plumage, apparently stragglers from the flocks which appear on 

 the south coast in May, on their journey to their unknown breed- 

 ing quarters. Old birds when red are rarely seen in early au- 

 tumn. Now, this species seems to migrate in autumn from east 

 to west, whilst the other appears to migrate from west to east ; 

 but so little appears to me to be known at present of the migra- 

 tions of birds, that the more one thinks about them, the less he 

 finds he knows. The Knot appears to migrate in the same course 

 as the Common Godwit ; still the former is equally common in 

 America and here, whilst the latter is unknown there. I have 

 shot a Knot returned from its breeding ground as early as July 

 1 9th, in its full summer plumage. In the early part of August 

 a few old birds generally occur, much faded in plumage. It is 

 curious to observe how greatly the plumage fades between the 

 time of their departure for breeding and that of their return ; by 

 the latter end of August the young arrive. The species is to be 

 found almost invariably by the sea-side throughout the winter, 

 and sometimes as late as May ; but I never saw one killed here 

 (Northumberland) in the red plumage they get before departing 

 to breed, and in which they are met with on the south-east 

 coasts. I have seen them in May here without any red feathers 

 at all. 



Migratory birds remind me of what is said of the wind we 

 hear the sound, but cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it 

 goeth ; so it is with them we see them, but are unable to tell 

 whence coming or whither going. Some of the species of birds 



