PURPLE SANDPIPER. KNOT. 165 



we see the purple sandpiper affecting none of the localities 

 where the majority of its family are to be found, but leaving 

 the sandy shore, the marsh, and the river side, it frequents 

 alone the vicinity of maritime precipices, or any broken range 

 of rocks along the shore line. Occurring also in small com- 

 munities, it offers a wide difference to the countless flocks in 

 which the smaller species are sometimes observed. 



When disturbed, the flock sweeps in a circling flight over 

 the sea, and seldom changes into any of the beautiful appear- 

 ances so admired in the common dunlin, but returns at once to 

 the vicinity of the rocks from whence it had been disturbed. 



Habitat Northern Europe. 



SPECIES 157 THE KNOT. 



Tringa Canutus. Linn. 



Becasseau Canet. Temm. 



Ash-coloured Sandpiper. Sea-snipe. Red Sandpiper. 



THE KNOT, with the exception of the dunlin, is the most 

 common of all the sea-larks, and, like that species, appears to 

 be almost as widely distributed along the coast. Preferring 

 more the true feeding grounds of the Tringae and Totanidae, 

 we may at all times see the knot in those situations where 

 there is an abundance of soft muddy ooze, but seldom, like 

 the dunlin and ring dotterel, in the vicinity of hard, dry, sandy 

 reaches. Very similar in its habits to the dunlin, we see it in 

 large flocks, the evolutions upon the wing are equally as re- 

 markable for their beauty. 



Of exceeding rarity upon our coast during summer, it is 

 only in September that the great flocks that have finished 

 their breeding cares in the remote latitudes of the north arrive 

 upon our coast, the diminished numbers of the preceding 

 season augmented and recruited by their young ; all of which 

 we again observe formed into flocks at the end of February 

 to return to their endless migration. 



The name of this species, apparently possessed of so little 

 meaning, is, according to the old annalists, owing to their 

 having been selected as a favourite dish for King Canute, 

 and for which cause they obtained the name, which became 

 in time corrupted into " knute," and at last to " knot." 



" The knotte that called was Canute's bird of old, 



Of that great King of Danes, his name that still doth hold ; 



His appetite to please, that farre and neere was sought 



For him, as some have said, from Denmark hither brought." 



