THE KNOTS, 231 



parties will leave the shingle and fly over the mud-flats, 

 settling on any little point which may become uncovered, 

 or thronging on to a sand-spit from which the tide has re- 

 ceded. 



In the spring the Dunlins pair before going north, but small 

 flocks of individuals in full summer plumage remain in the 

 south during the nesting season; these are evidently non- 

 breeding birds. 



Nest A depression in the ground with a slight lining of 

 dead grass, roots, or sometimes a little moss. Mr. Seebohm 

 says that the site generally chosen is in the middle of a tuft of 

 grass, or a bare place on the moor surrounded by heather or 

 rushes. Mr. Robert Read gives the following note : " I have 

 always found them nesting in the vicinity of water, but they 

 are not particular whether it is salt or fresh. The slight nest 

 is usually built in a patch of grass growing amongst short 

 heather, the eggs being well concealed by the over-hanging 

 grass." 



Eggs. Four in number, pear-shaped. The ground-colour 

 varies from a light greenish or olive-grey to stone-colour or 

 even chocolate. The markings are equally variable, for though 

 the grey underlying spots are sometimes in evidence, they are 

 often obscured by blotches and spots of reddish-brown or even 

 black, which are mostly congregated towards the larger end. 

 As a rule, however, in the Dunlin's egg, the spots are of 

 moderate size and fairly evenly distributed. Axis, 1*35-1*45 

 inches; diam., 695-1*05. 



THE KNOTS. GENUS TRINGA. 

 Tringd) Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 247 (1766). 

 Type, T. canutus (Linn.). 



The genus Tringa contains but two species, the Knot of 

 Europe and the Japanese T. crassirostris. The latter breeds 

 in Eastern Siberia and travels south in winter, as far as the 

 Malay Archipelago and Australia, as well as to the shores 

 of North-western India. The length of the culmen exceeds 

 that of the tarsus, and the latter is longer than the middle toe 

 and claw. The bill is stout and has a distinct ridge on the 



