586 LITTLE STINT. 



74° N.; but in the summer of 1872 Messrs. Harvie-Brown and Alston 

 obtained a bird in nuptial dress at the mouth of the Dwina, while 

 Prof. Collett found the species common on the Porsanger-fjord in 

 Norway, proving that it bred further to the westward than had 

 previousl}^ been supposed ; and in July 1875 Messrs. Harvie-Brown 

 and Seebohm were the first to take the eggs in Europe, near 

 the mouth of the Petchora. Nesting-places have since been dis- 

 covered by Henke near Archangel, Mr. E. Rae in the Kola Penin- 

 sula, Prof. Collett in North Norway, Mr. Trevor-Battye on Kolguev, 

 the Pearson Expeditions on the last-named and other islands 

 (especially Waigats) up to Belootchia Bay in Novaya Zemlya, Dr. 

 O. Finsch near the Kara Gulf, and Mr. Popham on the Yenesei. 

 Birds found on the Lena delta and further east in Siberia have 

 redder breasts in breeding-plumage, though undistinguishable in 

 winter, and have been named T. ruficollis. 



The nest is a mere hollow in the moor, scantily lined with dead 

 leaves &c. ; the eggs, 4 in number, are, as a general rule, miniatures 

 of those of the Dunlin : measurements i by 75 in. Fourteen 

 beautiful illustrations are in the ' Eggs of the Limicolas,' by the 

 late F. Poynting. Incubation begins in the second half of June, 

 and the male takes a full share. The sitting-bird appears to be very 

 quiet and tame when at the nest, from which, however, it sometimes 

 endeavours to divert attention by feigning lameness. The note is 

 described as a sharp wick, but in autumn, when the birds are in 

 flocks, their call resembles the confused chirping of grasshoppers. 

 Aquatic insects, small crustaceans, worms, molluscs, and occasion- 

 ally the seeds of plants, constitute the food. 



The adult in summer-plumage (represented in the foreground) 

 has the upper parts variegated with rufous and black like a Dunlin ; 

 chin white ; throat and upper breast tinged with rufous and speckled 

 with dark brown ; under parts white ; bill, legs and feet black. 

 Length 6 in. (bill 7), wing 3*55 in. The female is slightly larger 

 than the male. After the autumn moult there is no red on the 

 throat, and the upper parts are of an ashy-brown, though always with 

 more rufous than is the case in Temminck's Stint. The young 

 have the feathers of the back edged with bufifish-white ; the legs 

 and feet are blackish even from the nestling stage. As pointed out 

 by Mr. Harting, the Little Stint resembles a miniature Dunlin 

 (except for the black breast), while Temminck's Stint is more like a 

 small edition of the Common Sandpiper ; these remarks being 

 especially true of winter-plumage. 



