MISCELLANEA. 169 



IX . — Miscellanea . 



Some observations on the Breeding Place and Egg of the Knot, 

 Tringa Canutus, L. — I have wondered ever since tlie last Arctic 

 expedition started wliy tMs species was especially mentioned, as I 

 think there are many other species of which almost as little is 

 known, which breed in the Polar regions. 



I find amongst my ornithological memoranda, an extract I 

 made in 1839, at Wallington, from Captain Sabine's account of 

 birds found at Melville Island and the JN'orth Georgian Islands 

 during Parry's voyage, which is as follows : — 



Sanderling. Breeding abundantly on the iN'orth Georgian Is- 

 lands. 



Golden Plover. Very common, Korth Georgian Islands. 



Ring Dotterel. Common, both places. 



Turnstone. Very common. 



Dunlin. Eare. 



Knot. Breeding in great abundance on the ITorth Georgian 

 Islands. 



Purple Sandpiper. Breeding all along the coast of Davis' 

 Straits and Baffin's Bay, but not met with in the Polar Sea. 



Grey Phalarope. Breeding abundantly on the N^orth Georgian 

 Islands ; and amongst several other species is mentioned that 

 lovely bird the Fork-tailed Gull as occurring on Prince Eegent 

 Island, and on three small Islands in Baffin's Bay, in lat. 75*5°. 



Now this seems to me a very satisfactory proof of the Knot's 

 breeding ground being ascertained in America at least. 



I am not aware whether any eggs of the Knot have been 

 brought to England, but I should think it very probable they 

 may have been. Some thirty years ago I was staying at a house 

 in this county, when I was shown a collection of eggs, and there 

 was one amongst them named Knot. The original collector had 

 died, but I enquired about the q^^, remarking on its rarity, if 

 authentic. My kind correspondent (also long since dead), a few 

 days afterwards, wrote to me as follows respecting it. 



"The Knot's egg," ho says, *'he had from a Captain Howard 

 some years ago. He was a great collector of eggs from all parts, 







