THE KNOTS. 
231 
narties will leave the shingle and fly over the mud-flats, 
Lttling on any little point which may become uncovered, 
or thronging on to a sand-spit from which the tme has re- 
‘'^I^the spring the Dunlins pair before going north, but small 
flocks of individuals in full summer plumage >-emam m tl e 
south during the nesting season; these are evidently no 
breeding birds. _ 
Nest.— A depression in the ground with a slight ^ 
dead crass roots, or sometimes a little moss._ Mr. Seebohi 
says that the site generally chosen is in the middle of a tuft of 
grass or a bare place on the moor surrounded by heather 01 
rushes Mr. Robert Read gives the following note : I ha\ 
always found them nesting in the vicinity of ^ 
are not particular whether it is salt or fresh. Ihe shght nest 
is usually built in a patch of grass growing amongst shm 
heather, the eggs being well concealed by the over-hangii-o 
grass.” , , 
Begs.— Four in number, pear-shaped. The ground-colour 
varies from a light greenish or olive-grey to stone-co ou 
ewn chocolate. The markings are equalY vamb e^fo^^^^^^^ 
frrev underlying spots are sometimes in evidence, tney a 
ofte??bscured by blotches and spots of reddish-brown or even 
SS whkh are mostly congregated towards the larger end 
As a rule however, in the Dunlin’s egg, the spots are of 
moderate size and fairly evenly distributed. Axis, 1-35-1 ‘45 
inches; diam., 6 95-1 ‘05. 
the knots, genus TRINGA. 
Tringa, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 247 (1766). 
Type, T. canutus (Linn.). 
The genus Tringa contains but two species, the Knot of 
EuTopeSthe Japanese T. crassirostrls. The latter breeds 
hi Eastern Siberia and travels south in winter as for as the 
Malav Archipelago and Australia, as well as to the snores 
S Nlrth-western India. The length of the culmen exceeds 
that of the tarsus, and the latter is longer than the middle toe 
and claw. The bill is stout and has a distinct ridge on the 
