LITTLE STINT 803 



This diminutive sandpiper, no larger than a house -sparrow, and 

 in appearance a miniature dunlin, is the least of its order in the 

 British Islands. It comes to us only during the autumn and spring 

 migrations, but in small numbers, as the British coasts lie a little 

 outside of its main lines of travel. It makes its appearance in 

 August, chiefly on the east side of Great Britain, and is gone by 

 October ; in May it reappears, to stay till June, when it resumes its 

 journey northwards. Its knowTa breeding-places are in Northern 

 Norway and Siberia, north of the arctic circle. The eggs are four 

 in number, of the same length as those of the song-thrush, in colour 

 and markings like dunlins' eggs. The note of this species is described 

 in Yarrell as a ' whispering, warbling trill, very different from the 

 louder call of the dunlin ; . . . and the call of a flock is something 

 like the confused chirping of grasshoppers or crickets.' 



Temminck's stint {Tringa teinmincki) is a visitor on migration 

 to the coasts of Great Britain, but is less regular, and appears in 

 smaller numbers than the little stint, which it resembles in size and 

 colour. 



Curlew-Sandpiper. 

 Tringa subarquata. 



Head, neck, and mantle chestnut, streaked and barred with 

 black and grey ; upper tail- coverts white tinged with buff and 

 barred with black ; quills and tail-feathers ash-grey ; under parts 

 chestnut-red, slightly barred with brow^n and grey on the beUy and 

 flanks. Length, eight inches. In winter the upper parts are ash- 

 browoi, mottled with darker and paler brown ; breast paler ; under 

 parts and upper tail-coverts white. 



This species derives its name from the form of the bill, which is 

 curved downwards, as in the curlew ; pigmy curlew is one of its 

 common names. It is an annual visitor on migration to this coun- 

 try, on the east side chiefly, and occasionally penetrates to inland 

 waters. It associates with dunlins on the sand and mud flats, and 

 resembles that species in its feeding habits, but when flying may be 

 easily distinguished by its conspicuous w^hite tail- coverts. On its 

 return from its breeding-grounds it remains on our coasts from 

 August to October. From its winter haunts in the south it begins 

 to arrive at the end of March, the migration continuing until June. 



