572 LITTLE STINT. 



Taimyr river in Asiatic Siberia, in lat. 74" N. ; in the summer of 

 1872 Messrs. Alston and Harvie-Brown 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, showing that its 

 range extended further to the westward than had previously been 

 supposed; and in July 1875 Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie-Brown 

 were the first to take the eggs in Europe, near the mouth of the 

 Petchora. Nesting-places have since been discovered by Mr. Henke 

 near Archangel, by Mr. E. Rae in the Kola Peninsula, by Prof. 

 Collett in Northern Norway, and by Dr. O. Finsch near the 

 Kara Gulf; while eggs were brought to Mr. Seebohm on the 

 Yenesei, thus connecting the chain from the westward with the 

 Taimyr. Birds found on the Lena delta and further east in Siberia 

 have redder breasts in breeding-plumage, though undistinguishable 

 in winter, and have been distinguished as T. 7-iificoIlis. 



The nests found by Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie-Brown were 

 mere hollows in the moor, scantily lined with dead leaves &c. ; 

 the eggs, 4 in number, are in every respect miniatures of those of 

 the Dunlin : average measurements i by 75 in. Incubation was 

 far advanced by July 22nd, the date of their discovery. The 

 female appears to be very quiet and tame when at the nest, from 

 which, however, she sometimes endeavours to divert attention by 

 feigning lameness ; her note is described as a sharp wick, but in 

 autumn, when the birds are in flocks, their call resembles the con- 

 fused chirping of grasshoppers or crickets. Aquatic insects, small 

 crustaceans, worms, molluscs, and occasionally the seeds of plants, 

 constitute the food of this species. 



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. ; wing 375 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 buffish-white ; the legs 

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

 by Mr. Harting, the Little Stint is a miniature Dunlin (except for 

 the black breast) ; Temminck's Stint is a small edition of the 

 Common Sandpiper. 



