OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 267 



Family CHAEADEIID.E. Genus LIMONITES. 



Subfamily 



LITTLE STINT. 



LIMONITES MINUTA (Lewfer) . 



Tringa minuta, Leisler, Nachtr. Bechst. Naturg. Deutsch). i. p. 74 (1812; Macgill. 

 Brit. B. iv. p. 227 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 29, pi. 549, fig. i (1871) ; 

 Yarrell, Brit. B. ed. 4, iii. p. 386 (1883) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 204 (1885) ; 

 Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. pt. xix. (1891J ; Dixon, Nests and Eggs Non-indig. 

 Brit. B. p 267 (1894) ; Seebohm, Col. Fig. Eggs Brit. B. p. 148, pi. 44 (1896). 



Limonites minuta (Leisler), Sharpe, Handb. B. Gt. Brit. iii. p. 250 (1896) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 538 (1896). 



Geographical distribution. British . The Little Stint is a fairly 

 common visitor 011 spring and autumn migration, most abundant during the latter 

 period. It is principally found on the eastern coast of England, more rarely on the 

 south coast, and still less frequently on the east coast of Scotland as far north as 

 the Shetlands. It is practically unknown on the west coast of Scotland, and is 

 rare on the west coast of England, chiefly affecting Lancashire and the Solway dis- 

 trict. It visits Ireland sparingly every autumn, most frequently on the north-east 

 and eastern coast, and passes the Channel Islands on migration. Foreign : Western 

 Palaearctic region ; Ethiopian region, and Indian subregion of Oriental region in 

 winter. This Stint breeds locally on the Arctic tundras of Europe and Asia from 

 the North Cape in the west to the Taimur peninsula in the east, including 

 Kolguev, Nova Zembla and Waigatz Island. It has been found breeding at 

 Kistrand in Northern Norway, on the Kola peninsula in Lapland, in the delta of 

 the Petchora in Eussia, on the Yalmal peninsula, in the valley of the Yenisei, 

 and on the Taimur peninsula in the Siberian province of Yeniseisk. It passes 

 the coasts of Europe, the valleys of the Kama and the Volga, Western Siberia and 

 Turkestan on migration, and winters sparingly in the basin of the Mediterranean, 

 tropical Africa,* (including the valley of the Nile and the Central Lakes) , Arabia, 



* We cannot admit that this Stint is a normal migrant to South Africa, nor that it anywhere crosses 

 the tropics to winter. 



