72 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



fishing near Ringstead on July 3rd, 1891, he twice 

 saw, and distinctly identified, four Curlew Sandpipers. 

 This is a most unusually early record for this species, 

 especially in an inland locality ; but my correspon- 

 dent is perfectly well acquainted with the Common 

 Sandpiper, and I know of no other bird of the family 

 that is in the least likely to be met with on the 

 banks of the Nen in early July, except possibly the 

 Green Sandpiper, and this I consider to be out of 

 the question in the circumstance above mentioned. 



151. KNOT. 



Tringa canutus. 



This species, although common enough on many 

 parts of our eastern coasts, rarely finds its way to any 

 great distance up the valley of the Nen from the 

 sea, and I have only two records of its occurrence 

 actually within the political boundaries of North- 

 amptonshire, one of which is that of a bird brought 

 to me by Mr. A. G. Elliot in 1876, with the infor- 

 mation that it had been killed at the Lake or Pond 

 in Blatherwycke Park during the early autumn of 

 1875. The other occurrence above alluded to 

 stands recorded in our Nat. Hist Journal, on the 

 authority of Mr. H. F. Tomalin, as having taken 

 place at Pattishall in the month of February 1885. 

 In the latter part of March and the early weeks of 

 April 1853 our valley near Lilford was alive with 

 w^ading-birds of many species, and I am convinced 

 that Knots were amongst them, but as I did not 

 obtain a specimen, and was not then so w^ell 

 acquainted with the bird as I subsequently became, 



