GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 255 



covered land north of Franz Josef Land and the Liakoff Islands, 

 or New Siberia. The Knot has been observed in summer on 

 many points much further south on Continental Asia, but there is 

 not the slightest evidence forthcoming that these odd birds were 

 breeding. It has been obtained in Alaska and Greenland. It 

 was observed in the Dwina delta, near Archangel, by Hencke ; 

 Middendorff saw an odd bird or so on the Taimyr peninsula in 

 May, and at the mouth of the Uda, in the Sea of Okhotsk, in 

 July; Schrenck obtained examples in autumn at the mouth of the 

 Amoor, and it has been obtained at that season near Lake Baikal; 

 and on migration in the valleys of the Obb and the Kama. 

 Passes Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroes on migration, and 

 occurs on passage on the entire coast line of Western Europe, and 

 winters on the west coast of Africa as far south as Damara Land, 

 Rare in the Mediterranean during winter, but common on spring 

 and autumn passage. Of only accidental occurrence in India, 

 but passes the west coast of the Pacific, China, and Japan, on 

 migration, and winters in Australia and New Zealand. It does 

 not appear to pass the Pacific coast of America, but migrates 

 commonly down the Atlantic coasts, as well as along some 

 internal routes, and winters in the southern States, probably 

 Mexico, and some of the West Indies, and has been known to 

 wander as far south as Brazil. 



Allied Forms. — Tringa crassirostris, which possibly breeds 

 in North-eastern Siberia, although the precise locality still remains 

 unknown, and passes down the Ussuri valley, the coasts of China 

 and Japan on migration, and winters in Australia. Has visited 

 the Andaman Isles, and, more remarkable still, the coast of 

 Scinde, the latter in considerable numbers. Distinguished from 

 the Common Knot by its white upper tail coverts and by its black 

 breast and flanks, and absence of all chestnut from the under- 

 parts in breeding plumage. It is also a slightly larger bird 

 (length of wing, 7 to yj^ inches, instead of from 6^ to 

 6^ inches). 



Time during which the Knot may be taken.— 

 August I St to March ist. 



Habits. — Although great numbers of the Knots that visit our 

 coasts in autumn pass on in a few weeks to more southern 



