CiafsIL] B I 
black : the lower part of the interior webs of the 
four firft white : the rump white : the tail mark¬ 
ed with tranfverfe bars of black and white : the 
legs of a dirty green : the back toe very fmall. 
R D S. 123 
Thefe appear in fmall flocks in the winter time, 
but are not very common : their flefli is very 
delicate. 
SPECIES III. The Ruffe, Plate C 
JViL orn. 302. 
Rail fyn. av. 107. 
Tringa pugnax. Lin. Jyft. 148. 
H E males, or Ruffes , aflume fuch va¬ 
riety of colors, that it is fcarce poflible 
to fee two alike ; but the great length 
of the feathers on the neck, that gives name to 
them, at once diftinguilhes thefe from all other 
birds. In moulting, they lofe for a while this 
character, but a fet of fmall pimples, which at 
that feafon break out above the bill, forms ano¬ 
ther. The Reeves , or females, are faid never to 
change their colors $ which are brown, fpotted 
Pugnax. Brijfon av. V. 240. Bab. 
22. Male and Female. 
in fome parts with white, or afh-color : they are 
lefs than the males, which weigh between five and 
fix ounces. Thefe birds are found in Lincoln - 
Jhire, and in the eaft riding of Torkjhire , where 
they are taken, and fattened for the table, with 
bread and milk. The Ruffes are fo addidled to 
fighting, that the feeders are obliged to fhut them 
in a dark room, or they would never defifl: till 
they had killed one another. % 
* Wil. orn. 303 . 
4 
SPECIES IV. 
The Knot. Plate C 2. Fig. 1. 
fVil. orn. 302. 
Rati fyn. av. io8< 
Edzv. av. 276. 
Canutus. Brijfon av. V. 258. 
T~~\ H E fpecimens that we had opportunity 
of examining, differ a little in colors, 
both from Mr .Willoughby'’s defcription, 
and from Mr. Edwards' 1 s figure : the forehead, 
chin, and lower part of the neck in ours were 
brown, inclining to afh-color : the back and fca- 
pulars deep brown, edged with afh-color : the 
coverts of the wings with white, the edges of the 
lower order deeply fo, forming a white bar : the 
bread, fides, and belly white 3 the two firft ftreak- 
ed with brown : the toes (as a fpecial mark) di- 
Tringa canutus. Lin. Jyft. 149. 
Tringa maritima. Brunnich. ornith. 
54 - 
vided to the very bottom : the weight four ounces 
and a half. 
Thefe birds frequent our coafts in the winter ; 
and are much efteemed. Camden * fays they 
derive their name from King Canute , Knute , or 
Knout , as he is fometimes called j probably becaufe 
they were a favored difh with that monarch. 
Shakefpear in his Othello , fpcaking of Roderego ? 
makes the Knot an emblem of a dupe. 
“ I have rubb’d this young Knot almoft to thefenfe ; 
“ And he grows angry. 
Othello . 
* Camden Brit. 971 . 
