THE WADERS OF SOLWAY. 53 



Little Stint (Tringa minuta). 



Three specimens of the Little Stint, shot together from a 

 small party feeding at the mouth of a little stream a mile west 

 of Southerness Point, on 3rd September, 1887, were the first 

 I was able to record of the species in our area, although doubt- 

 less the Little Stint, like many another rarity had been coming 

 and going, without observation, through untold time. 



In the autumn of 1002 several more were seen by myself at 

 the same place. In September, 1903, a pair was seen on the 

 Blackshaw at the mouth of the Lochar. Then this year there 

 has been quite a notable visitation. The Duchess of Bedford 

 saw a small party on the sands of Cree in September. Within 

 a day or two after her Grace wrote to tell me of the occurrence 

 T heard of them also from Southerness, Cummertrees, and 

 Rockcliffe. Altogether between thirty and forty birds must have 

 been under observation. The Little Stint stays apparently only 

 a few days with us in Solway, but there is little doubt also that 

 its annual visits must be most intermittent. 



Temminck's Stint (Trinya temmincki). 



There is^ one certain occurrence in a bird I saw at Hastings' 

 (the bird-stuffer) shop about thirty years ago, and Hastings 

 told me he had had another long previously. 



Curlew Sandpiper (Tringa subarquata). 



This seems to be very scarce with us during the autumn 

 migration, and is usually confined to the Dumfriesshire coast. 

 Gray, in his Birds of Ayrshire and Wigtownshire, says 'it is 

 not commonly met with " in Wigtownshire. Altogether it is a 

 species that, locally, I have very seldom met with, and have to 

 confess that I know very little about it. 



Purple Sandpiper (Tringa striata) 



is to be found the whole winter through in small parties of 

 half-a-dozen or less, wherever sea-weed covered rocks fringe 

 the shore. They delight in remaining just where the surf 

 splashes about, requiring them to jump up out of its reach as 

 each wave dashes in. I have seen it here so late as 11th Mav. 



