212 BRITISH BIRDS. 



The eggs of the Little Stiut vary in ground-colour from pale greenish 

 grey to pale brown^ spotted and blotched with rich brown^ and with under- 

 lying markings of greyer brown and pinkish 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 -85 to "8 inch. 

 The eggs of the Little Stint probably go through every variety to which 

 those of the Dunlin are subject. All the eggs we found in the valley of 

 the Petchora were very much incubated, with the exception of one which 

 was probably barren. 



The sexes of the Little Stint cannot be distinguished, except by dissec- 

 tion, at any age or season. The general colour of the upper parts of the 

 adult in breeding-plumage is blackish brown, each feather margined with 

 chestnut. On the rump and upper tail-coverts these margins are very 

 obscure ; nearly all the wing-covcrts, and generally one or two of the 

 innermost secondaries, remain in the plain greyish-brown winter plumage, 

 not having been moulted in spring. The two centre tail-feathers are 

 blackish brown with narrow chestnut margins, the remaining tail-feathers 

 being plain grey ; the quills are brown, and a white bar across the wings 

 is produced by the greater coverts having white tips. The Avhole of the 

 underparts is white, sufi'used with buft' on the breast, which is also spotted 

 Avith brown. Bill, legs, feet, and claws black ; irides hazel. After the 

 autumn moult the general colour of the upper parts is greyish brown, each 

 feather with an obscure dark centre ; the underparts are pure white, 

 sUghtly sufiused with grey on the sides of the breast. In this plu- 

 mage the Little Stint cannot be distinguished from the Red-necked 

 Stint in winter plumage. Young in first plumage difl"er from adults in 

 summer plumage in having all the wing-coverts, except the greater ones, 

 margined with chestnut, in having many of the chestnut margins of the 

 scapulars replaced by white, and in having the breast, although sufi'used 

 with buff, without the brown spots. Birds of the year difi'er from adults 

 in winter plumage in having chestnut margins to the wing-coverts and the 

 two centre tail-feathers. After the first spring moult * the white margins 

 of the scapulars arc even more conspicuous than in young in first plumage, 

 and the margins of many of the other feathers are mixed with white ; the 

 chestnut margins of the innermost secondaries and centre tail-feathers are 

 also very broad and rich, but the underparts are coloured as in the adult 

 in summer plumage. Young in down resemble those of the Dunlin, but 

 the legs are darker and the general colour is richer. 



* An example of the Little Stiut collected by Dr. Emin Bey at Lado in Central Africa, 

 on the IGth of February, is moulting its primaries, but is otherwise in full adult winter 

 plumage. 



