SCOLOPACID^J. 421 



axillary plume white ; vent, flanks and under tail- 

 coverts reddish white, barred and spotted with 

 black; under surface of the tail-feathers greyish 

 white; legs and toes greenish black."* 



During the autumnal moult the bird assumes a 

 different appearance, part of each plumage being 

 then visible, occasional white feathers being mixed 

 with the red of the under parts, and the ash-grey 

 feathers of the back appearing amongst the dark 

 ones : in this state of plumage specimens frequently 

 occur. The young birds of the year in their first 

 autumn have the neck ash-grey ; the feathers of the 

 back, scapulars, wing-coverts and tertials are dark 

 brown, margined with reddish buff, which latter, as 

 the winter approaches, changes slowly to ash-colour, 

 with buffy white and ultimately pure white edges ; 

 the under surface of the body is white, tinged with 

 red, becoming afterwards pure white. 



Yarrell says, on the authority of Temminck, that 

 the eggs are yellowish white, spotted with dark 

 brown. 



KNOT, Tringa Canutus. The Knot is not un- 

 common on our coasts during the winter, but is by 

 no means so numerous as many of the other 

 Waders, and I do not know that it occurs at any 

 other season, as I have never seen a specimen from 

 our county at all in its summer plumage : it is, 



* Yarrell, vol. in., p. 51. 



