. The aquatic birds of Great Britain and Ireland . other waders frequently accompany them. From Dunlins, San-derlings, and other small grey shore-birds, they may be dis-tinguished by their larger size: the Redshank has muchlonger legs and feet. Flight.—The Knot exhibits great power and velocity onthe wing. Its long, pointed pinions are admirably adaptedfor the immense distances covered on migration. The swishing or rushing sound of several hundred wingsas the birds pass overhead is as audible at eighty yardsdistance as the hissing of steam escaping from a loco-motive. Beautiful aerial evolutio
. The aquatic birds of Great Britain and Ireland . other waders frequently accompany them. From Dunlins, San-derlings, and other small grey shore-birds, they may be dis-tinguished by their larger size: the Redshank has muchlonger legs and feet. Flight.—The Knot exhibits great power and velocity onthe wing. Its long, pointed pinions are admirably adaptedfor the immense distances covered on migration. The swishing or rushing sound of several hundred wingsas the birds pass overhead is as audible at eighty yardsdistance as the hissing of steam escaping from a loco-motive. Beautiful aerial evolutions, comparable to thoseperformed by the Dunlin, may be witnessed, especially inthe spring, when the birds are massing together preparatoryto moving northward. Food.—The food, sought for by day as well as by night,consists largely of small shell-fish, especially gasteropodswith pointed spiral shells ; these I have found in abundancein several stomachs examined. Some of the shells measured6 mm. in length. Worms, insects, and seaweeds, are also. ^ ^ H s KNOT 311 eaten. In summer this species has been found feedingon oppoKitifolia (CoL Feiklen). Though often shiggish on foot, yet when searching forfood tlie Knot displays as great activity as many otherwading-birds. Large flocks usually gather along the edgeof the ebbing tide where the birds may l)e seen runningto and fro in search of food, some members of the flock,now and again, taking short flights along the the habits when feeding the late Mr. wriies :—I observed a very tame immatureKnot on August Iith, 1900, on the Dublin coast. I creptso near it that I could plainly see its bufl-coloured breastand upper feathers edged with golden-yellow. The bird,whicli was alone, was exceedingly active, advancing andretreating as the wavelets broke on the silvery it hurried into the water, wading up to itsbreast, quickly darting back again to the beach to catch flieswhich swarmed o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectwaterbi, bookyear1906
