of the Knot in our country are bare reaches of tidal
mud and sand; and where these wastes are permeated
by runlets of fresh water, there, if anywhere, the Knots
will be found at low-water time. I think that, in the
whole of my bird-seeking experience, I never met with
any one species in such astonishing numbers as the
present in the lower marisma of the Guadalquivir during
the first fortnight of May 1872; any really approximate
reckoning was, of course, out of the question, but my
companions and I put the total mildly at several millions;
with very few exceptions these masses of birds were in
the most perfect summer plumage. The Knot thrives
exceedingly well in captivity, often for three or four
years, and becomes very tame.
The drawings for both Plates were taken from living
birds in the Lilford aviaries.
A . Thxxrbunn.:del. «J. % nit ILtk.
