476 SANDPIPERS AND RELATED SPECIES 



THE KNOT 

 [W. FARREN] 



The knot breeds chiefly in the Arctic regions of Asia and America, 

 including Northern Greenland. It winters in Africa, India, Australasia, 

 and on the Atlantic coast of America down to Patagonia. The British 

 Isles lie well within one of its main lines of migration, both in spring 

 and autumn, therefore it visits us in very large numbers, and many 

 remain with us during winter. 



The species was found in numbers over a great part of the country 

 explored by Herr Manniche in N.E. Greenland. Although it was 

 undoubtedly nesting, he failed to discover a nest with eggs, but he 

 brought back that which will be hailed by many as of more value than 

 even the eggs of this elusive bird, namely, a most interesting account 

 of its breeding habits. 



He observed that immediately after their arrival the knots kept 

 more strictly in couples than the other Waders which visited N.E. 

 Greenland. He says : " The pairing-notes of the males filled the air 

 everywhere a few hours after their arrival. The male suddenly gets 

 up from the snow-clad ground, and producing the most beautiful flute- 

 like notes, following an oblique line with rapid wing-strokes, mounts 

 to an enormous height, often so high that he cannot be followed by the 

 naked eye. Up here in the clear frosty air he flies around in large 

 circles on quivering wings, and his melodious, far-sounding notes are 

 heard far and wide over the country. . . . The song sounds now more 

 distant, now nearer when three or four males are singing at the same 

 time. Now and then the bird "glides" slowly downwards on stiff" 

 wings, with the tail feathers spread; then again he makes himself 

 invisible in the higher regions of the air, mounting on wings quivering 

 even faster than before. Only now and then the observer guided 



