338 THE KNOT. 



pelling them to shift their stations ; but, after the disturber has 

 quitted the place, they have been observed to resume their circles, 

 and become again pacific. In confinement their quarrels origi- 

 nate in the circumstance of the pan containing their food not 

 being sufficiently large to admit the whole party to feed without 

 touching each other. When the food has been divided into 

 several pans, the birds have continued perfectly quiet. 



The reeves lay four eggs, in a tuft of grass, about the begin- 

 ning of May ; and the young are hatched in about a month. 



It is not known with certainty in what country these birds pass 

 the winter, 



THE KNOT. 



This bird, which frequents the fens, is taken in the same man- 

 ner as the ruffs and reeves. The knot is said to have been a 

 favourite dish with Canute, king of England ; and Camden ob- 

 serves, that its name is derived from the monarch Knute or 

 Knout, as he was called, which, in process of time, has been 

 changed to Knot. These birds are caught in Lincolnshire, and 

 other fenny counties by nets, into which they are decoyed by 

 stale birds, carved and painted so as to represent themselves, and 

 placed within the range of the nets: their numbers are so con- 

 siderable that Mr. Pennant states fourteen dozen to have been 

 taken at once. They are fattened in the same way as the ruffs, 

 and by some are supposed to excel that bird in flavour. The 

 season for taking them is from August to November, after which 

 they in general disappear with the first frosts. The weight of 



