THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 499 



thirteen of them remained unconcernedly at a distance of about 

 twenty paces from where I was standing. I believe I could have 

 killed the lot with one shot, for they were standing in close tile, 

 one behind the other, on the perfectly smooth sand, the rising tide 

 just wetting their feet. Since, however, it is my rule never to kill 

 any creature bird, butterfly or beetle unless for scientific or 

 culinary purposes, these trustful children of the bird-world had no 

 harm to fear from me. 



The breeding range of the Oystercatcher extends from Ireland 

 and the Hebrides to the Kurile Islands, and in Scandinavia up to 

 the North Cape. 



Sandpiper Tringa. This genus embraces about twenty species 

 which are distributed at their breeding haunts over all the countries 

 of the northern hemisphere, and are met with during the winter 

 months not only in southern Africa but also in South America, 

 Australia, and New Zealand. The nine European species visit 

 Heligoland, almost all in quantities, besides which an American 

 species, Tringa rufescens, has once been shot on the island. This 

 species, besides several other American species, T. bonapartei, 

 T. pectoralis, and T. pusilla, have also been obtained rather 

 frequently in England. 



291. Knot [ISLANDISCHER STRANDLAUFER], 

 TRINGA ISLANDICA, Gmelm. 1 



Heligoland ish : Knott. Name for this species. 

 Tringa islandica. Naumann, vii. 372. 



Knot. Dresser, viii. 77. 



Becasseau canut. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 627, iv. 409. 



No species offers so striking a proof of the enormous distances 

 Avhich birds can accomplish during their migratory journeys; 

 while its most southern nesting stations are only a few degrees 

 distant from the North Pole, it appears as though its chief breeding 

 area, like that of so many other species, could only be situated on 

 some extensive island or continent somewhere in the great North 

 Polar Sea. Captain Feilden observed the birds for the first time, 

 on the 5th of June 1876, near Knot Harbour, Grinnell Land, in 

 lat. 82 N. ; but in spite of the most energetic search he did not 

 succeed in discovering the nest or eggs. 



Now, from these high latitudes this species travels not only 

 down to South Africa and Asia, but it has been met with in winter 



1 Tringa canutus, Linn. 



