SCOLOPACID^E. 423 



of the Knot, but it is said generally to deposit its 

 eggs on a bare tuft of withered grass. * 



The winter plumage of the Knot is as follows : 

 The beak is black ; irides hazel ; from the beak to 

 the eye darkish ash, over this and over the eye 

 there is a light streak ; the head, neck, back, scapu- 

 lars and tertials ash-grey, some of the feathers 

 slightly margined with white ; the rump and tail- 

 coverts are white, marked with streaks of black 

 following the shape of the feather; the wing-coverts 

 are ash-grey, each feather narrowly margined with 

 white ; the primary quills are black, with white 

 shafts ; the tail-feathers ash-grey, very narrowly 

 margined with white ; the chin white ; the sides and 

 front of the neck white, streaked with dusky ; 

 breast white, with circular black marks towards the 

 ends of the feathers ; flanks the same, but the black 

 markings are more pointed and irregular ; belly and 

 under tail- coverts white ; legs, toes and claws nearly 

 black. This is the description of one in my collec- 

 tion, which was shot at Burnham in January. 



The summer plumage differs much in the same 

 manner as in the last-mentioned species. The fore- 

 head, top of the head and back of the neck are 

 reddish brown, streaked with dark brown; back, 

 scapulars, small wing- coverts and tertials black, 



* Yarrell, vol. iii., p. 56 ; Meyer's ' British Birds,' 

 vol. v. p. 68. 



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