THE KNOT 479 



colour varies from pale greenish to greenish ochreous or greyish. The 

 markings consist of rather fine spots, sometimes a few irregular blotches 

 of dark red-brown to blackish brown, and a few underhung ashy shell- 

 marks. Average size of fourteen eggs, 1*69 x 1*18 in. [43 x 30 mm.]. 1 



Although large numbers of knots remain through the winter, the 

 largest flocks are to be seen in late autumn. I have seldom seen 

 more than five or six together when they first arrive on the Norfolk 

 coast in early August, nor have I at this time seen adults. They are 

 very tame, but, harrassed by shore-shooters, soon become more wary. 

 They run nimbly about on the edge of the water, often wading breast 

 high in their search for food. Professor Patten has observed newly 

 arrived birds, very fatigued, resting on one leg and sleeping in bright 

 sunshine, with their bills buried in their soft puffed out feathers. 

 When their slumbers were disturbed by a nearer approach, many 

 hopped away on one leg before taking flight. They circled round 

 a few times, and then settled on the same spot and commenced to 

 feed on the ooze. 2 They occasionally gather in very large flocks on 

 the rich feeding-grounds in the large estuaries on the east coast. 

 Such a flock, described by Mr. John Cordeaux, was estimated to 

 consist of many thousands of birds. This was on the Humber flats. 

 They were massed along the foreshore, here crowded as closely as 

 they could sit, then straggling out into more open line, and then again 

 massed together by thousands. A space along the edge of the water 

 " some hundreds of yards in length, and about thirty in breadth, was 

 fairly crowded with them." One part or other of this great gathering 

 was constantly on the wing, flying over the heads of those on the ground 

 and settling again. They kept up a continual warbling ; the blended 

 notes of so many birds was completely unlike the usual sharp cry of 

 the knot, and sounded like "the twittering of a flock of linnets." 

 Shortly before sunset the flock rose, taking a course directly across 

 the Humber. They did not all rise together, but commencing at one 

 extremity gradually took flight. " When all were on the wing their 



1 P. C. R. Jourdain, in litt. Patten, Aquatic Birds, p. 310. 



