

RUPT. — Phihjrimdius pitgnax. 



white sparely spotted with brown. The length of the adult bird is between twelve and 

 thirteen inches. 



The female is ashen brown upon the head and neck, spotted with dark brown, the 

 back is nearly black, each feather being edged with ashen brown, and the wing-coverts are 

 barred with chestnut. The tail is also ashen brown barred with chestnut and black. The 

 chin is greyish white, and the neck and breast are grey spotted profusely with black. 

 The abdomen is white. The female is smaller than her mate, being rather under eleven 

 inches in length. 



The Knot, so called in honour of King Knut, or Canute as tlie name is generally 

 spelled, is one of the English members of the interesting genus Tringa. 



This pretty bird is found upon our coast in varying numbers, at one season flying and 

 settling on the shore in flocks of a thousand or more in number, and at another being so 

 scarce that hardly one bird can be seen where a hundred had formerly made their 

 appearance, ^Ir. Thompson mentions that in Belfast Bay he has seen tliem in such 

 profusion, that upwards one hundred and seventy were killed at a single discharge from a 

 swivel-gun. Sometimes they are silent while on the ground, but at others they utter a 

 peculiar chucking kind of note, which seems to indicate their position to the expectant 

 female. 



The Knot loves to feed on the large expanses of sea-grass (Zostera marinci) Avhich are 

 left bare by the receding tide, and is often found with a mixed assembly of godwits, 

 dunlins, and redshanks. As far as is known, the Knot does not breed in England, 

 preferring more southern countries for that business. The eggs are five in number, and 

 are merely laid on a tuft of grass. 



