262 GAME BIRDS. WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



KNOT (Tringa canutus). 



Common or local names: Red-breast; Red-breasted Plover; Buff-breast; Blue Plover; 

 Silver Plover; Silverback; Grayback; Robin-snipe. 



Fall. Spring. 



Length. — About 10.50 inches; bill about 1.50. 



Adult in Spring. — Above light gray, marked with black and reddish brown; 

 rump and upper tail coverts lighter; tail gray, edged with whitish; sides 

 of head, fore neck and under parts brownish red, to lower belly, which 

 is white; dark line through eye; iris hazel; bill dark; legs and feet dull 

 yellowish green. 



Adult in Fall. — Above ashy gray, feathers margined with black and cream 

 white; rump and base of tail white, marked with dusky or black; below 

 white marked with dusky. 



Yoimg and Immature. — Upper parts as in fall adult; under parts white; 

 throat, breast and flanks clouded with grayish and streaked with dusky. 

 Several years are required to reach full plumage; all plumages have a 

 dusky line through eye. (Judging from descriptions, the colors of the 

 legs and feet vary from greenish yellow to black.) 



Field Marks. — Distinguished from the Dowitcher by its shorter bill. Upper 

 parts usually light gray; hinder parts whitish, but not conspicuous. 



Notes. — Like the soft whit whit one uses in whistling a dog back (Hoffmann). 

 A soft wah-quoit and a little honk (Mackay). Waquit (Knight). 



Season. — A rather common migrant coastwise, rare inland; mid May to 

 June 10; mid July to mid October. 



Range. — Northern and southern hemispheres. Breeds from northern Elles- 

 mere Land south to Melville Peninsula and Iceland, also in Siberia; 

 winters south to southern Patagonia, and in Africa, India, Australia and 

 New Zealand; casual in winter on Atlantic coast of United States; in mi- 

 gration occurs on Atlantic coast of North America and over most of east- 

 ern hemisphere; rare in interior of North America and on Pacific coast. 



