110 
BIRDS. PRESSIROSTRES. SiKEPSitAS. 
and white below than in the old birds. The Knot, named after King Canute, 
who prized it for the table, formerly visited the fens of Lincolnshire in au- 
tumn, and was caught and fattened with the rulF. According to Montagu, 
(Supp. Orn. Diet.), it does not now visit its former haunts, nor is it known to 
breed in England. It probably breeds in Orkney, as I have shot one in San- 
da on the 15th June (1808). 
157. T. striata (Brisson). Purple Sandpiper.— Base of the 
bill and legs yellow, the two middle tail-feathers black. 
Linn. Syst. L 248. Fah, Faun. Groen. 107 — T. maritima (Brunich), Mark- 
wick., Linn. Trans, W. 22 — T. nigricans, Mont. ib. p. 40. — T, marit. 
Temm. Orn. ii. Cl 9.— A winter visitant. 
Length 8|, breadth 15i inches ; weight 2 ounces. Bill 1| long, red at the 
base, black at the tip. Legs yellow. Irides dusky. Plumage, above, black 
with a violet gloss, each feather margined with white ; neck and breast grey- 
ish-white, with lanceolate, dusky spots ; middle of the belly white. Quills 
black, the shafts and edges of the exterior Avebs white. Bump and two middle 
tail-feathers black, the rest cinereous with white margins. In winter, the 
plumage above becomes dull, with a feebler gloss of purple, and the edges of 
the feathers have a grey margin. In the young., the feathers above are black, 
with white changing into red margins ; and the edges of the Aving-covers have 
much white — This is not uncommon on the sea-shore during Avinter. 
158. T. pugnax. Ruff. — Tail rounded, the two middle fea- 
thers barred, the three lateral ones plain. 
Avis pugnax, Will. Orn. 224 — T. pugnax, Linn. Syst. i. 247 Buff, 
Gambet (T. gambetta), Penn. Brit. ZqoI. ii. 457-465 — ^Buff, Gambet, 
Greenwich Sandpiper, Equestrian Sandpiper, and Yellow-legged Sand- 
piper, Mont. Orn. Diet. App. and Supp. t. p. Temm. Orn. ii. 631 
E, (males) Buffs, (females) Beeves — A summer visitant. 
Length 1, breadth 2 feet ; weight 7 ounces. Bill yellow, sometimes black 
at the tip. Feet yellow. Irides brown. Face naked, covered Avith yellow 
warts. A spreading tuft of feathers on each side of the neck. The wing-co- 
vers are brown, inclining to ash colour. The middle tail-feathers are barred 
with black and brown ; the lateral ones are cinereous-brown. The lateral 
and under covers white. The rest of the plumage subject to vary. The/^- 
male is smaller and destitute of a ruff, of a pale brown, the back spotted with 
black, and edged Avith white — Nest in a tuft of grass in the fens. Eggs 4, 
white, marked with rusty spots. Young like the female. In winter the face 
is covered with short feathers, and the ruff' of the male disappears. He is 
very pugnaceous, and even in confinement fights readily with a rival. Buffs 
are taken by nets, the males especially, and fattened for the table AAdth bread 
and milk, and boiled wheat. They are chiefly found in the breeding season on 
the fens of Lincolnshire. — This species forms the genus Machetes of Cuvier. 
Gen. LXXI. STBEPSILAS. Turnstone.— Bill strong, 
conical, depressed, and pointed. Wings acuminated ; the 
first quill longest. The front toes united at the base. 
159- S. interpres. Common Turnstone. — Bill and irides 
black, feet orange. 
Morinellus marinus. Will. Orn. 231 — Tringa interpres et Morinellus, 
Linn. Syst. i. 248 Penn. Brit. Zool. ii, 465. No. 199. and 200 Strep- 
silas collaris, Temm. Orn. ii. 553 — JEJ, Sea dotterel ; Skirlcrake ; W^ 
Huttan y mor. — A AAunter visitant of England and Scotland ; station- 
ary in Zetland. 
