THE BIRDS OF CORNWALL. 219 



occasional visitor at Hayle ; one bird in summer plumage shot at 

 Looe ; recorded from Scilly ; lias a strong preference for rocky 

 shores thickly covered with sea-weed ; breeds at the Faeroes, 

 Iceland, and in abundance far beyond the Aictic circle ; in 

 autumn its passage can be traced down the Atlantic sea-board to 

 Morocco. 



Knot ; a passing visitor, common in autumn but rare in 

 spring ; first flocks arrive in the west hj the middle of August, 

 and sometimes earlier, and often linger for several weeks ; well- 

 known at Scilly; breeds in north Grreenland and Arctic America ; 

 on passage it swarms on the coast of Western Europe, and con- 

 tinues down west Africa to Damara Land. 



Sanderling ; a passing visitor in spring and autumn, 

 occasionally remaining in the county for the winter; of fairly 

 frequent occurrence in the west, but not recorded east of Ports- 

 catho ; a common winter visitor at Scilly ; breeding haunts 

 circumpolar and extending beyond latitude 80° ; common on 

 passage along the Atlantic coast, some winter round the Mediter- 

 ranean, others push southward to the Cape. 



Ruff; a casual visitor during autumn migration occurring 

 irregularly from Falmouth to Land's End and Scilly ; no speci- 

 men with the "ruff" recorded from the county; breeds from 

 northern Scandinavia and Russia to the north of France ; winter 

 range extends to the Cape. 



Buff- breasted Sandpiper ; an accidental visitor from the 

 American continent ; one specimen shot between Marazion and 

 Penzance, Sept., 1846, a second near Chung Castle, Morvah, Sept., 

 1860, and a third on St. Bryher, Scilly, Sept., 1870. 



Bartram's Sandpiper; an accidental visitor breeding in 

 north and wintering in South America ; eight specimens recorded 

 for England, of which one was shot at Mullion, Nov. 1865, and 

 one at St. Keverne, Oct., 1883. 



Common Sandpiper ; a summer migrant, but commoner as 

 a passing visitor in sjiriiig and autumn ; earliest record for Hayle, 

 April 10th ; generally leaves in Sept., but one was shot on Nov. 

 12tli, 1874; a passing autumn visitor at Scilly where it occasion- 

 ally lingers ; nests not uncommonly by moorland streams ; breeds 

 abundantly throughout Europe from the arctic circle to the Alps 



