EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 149 



lying markings of greyer brown and purplish-grey. Sometimes a 

 few very dark brown streaks occur on the large end. The spots 

 and blotches are generally large, and often confluent on the large 

 end of the egg. They vary in length from 1*15 to 1.06 inch, and 

 in breadth from 0'85 to 0"8 inch. The eggs of the Little Stint 

 probably go through every variation to which those of the 

 Dunlin are subject. 



THE AMEKICAN STINT. 



(Tri)iga m in utilla.)* 

 Plate 44, Fig. 8. 



The American form of the Little Stint breeds in the Arctic 

 regions of the western hemisphere from Alaska to Labrador. It 

 passes through the United States and the Bermudas on migration 

 southwards to winter in Mexico, the West Indies, Central America 

 and the northern portions of South America. It has occurred on 

 three occasions in Great Britain. 



The nest is slight, and consists of a little depression, either 

 scratched out by the birds, or one selected for the purpose ready 

 made, scantily lined with a few dead leaves and bits of dry grass. 



The eggs are always four in number when the full complement 

 is laid. In ground-colour they are dull buff, spotted and blotched 

 with reddish-brown, and with paler and somewhat indistinct 

 underlying markings. Most of the spots are congregated on the 

 large end of the egg, often becoming confluent. They are very 

 handsome eggs, scarcely to be distinguished from those of the 

 Little Stint, and, except in size, from those of the Dunlin; some- 

 times the ground-colour is almost concealed by the spots, causing 

 the eggs to resemble those of the Broad-billed Sandpiper. They 

 vary in length from 115 to 0'95 inch, and in breadth from 0*85 

 to 0'75 inch. 



TEMMINCK'S STINT. 

 (Tringa temmincki.) \ 



Plate 44, Figs. 4, G. 



Temminck's Stint is a regular, but by no means common, visitor 

 to the east and south coasts of England on spring and autumn 



* Limonites minutilla — Sharpe, Handb., III., p. 255. 

 t Limonites temminckii — Sharpe, Handb., III., p. 257. 



