400 SCOLOPACID^. 



east as Pitlekaj, on the shores of Behring's Straits, where it 

 was ohtained in June by the ' Vega ' expedition. On migra- 

 tion it visits the shores and inland waters of the Continent of 

 Europe down to the Mediterranean, bej'ond which it has been 

 traced as far south as Senegambia in winter. It occurs at 

 that season in Algeria, Egypt, Nubia, Kordofan, and on the 

 coast of the Red Sea down to 10° N. lat., returning north- 

 wards in April and May, though some few remain throughout 

 the summer. On the Caspian and through the Caucasus it 

 is a regular migrant in spring and autumn, and Severtzoff 

 states that it breeds in Turkestan, among the mountains at 

 an elevation of from 10,000 to 14,000 feet. It crosses the 

 Pamir, and, according to the same authority, it breeds on 

 the table-lands of that lofty range, and of the Altai ; it 

 passes through Gilgit and arrives in India from August 

 onwards, stretching down the coast as far as Ceylon and 

 Tenasserim, and it has occurred in Borneo. In Siberia, 

 besides the far north, it ])reeds on the Stanowoi Mountains, 

 and is believed by Prjewalsky to do so in Mongolia, but it 

 does not appear to be so common as the Little Stint. It 

 has been obtained in the Jaj^anese island of Yezo, and to 

 the coasts of China it is a winter visitor. 



The eggs of Temminck's Stint, and its habits at the 

 breeding-ground, were made known in the third edition of 

 Hewitson's work, 'Eggs British Birds,' ii. p. 362, by an 

 interesting communication from the late Mr. Wolley, who, 

 writing of this species, says : "I have found it breeding in 

 several localities north of the Bothnian Gulf, but it is scarce, 

 and, as far as I have seen, confined to a very few spots. 

 Grassy banks and pastures by the waterside are the kinds of 

 places where it takes up its breeding-quarters, and it seems 

 to delight in being near houses. Nothing can be more 

 interesting or pretty than this little bird in the early part 

 of summer ; it is so tame that one could often catch it in 

 a net at the end of a stick. At one time it is hovering 

 with its wings raised over its back, or floating about, and it 

 reminds one rather of some insect than any other bird ; at 

 another time, it may be standing on the top of a stone or 



