56 



before commencing to get their winter plumage. I never knew 

 an old bird obtained in its winter plumage, and very few indeed 

 of them are met with at the same places during their vernal 

 migration. Draining, cultivation, making docks, and inclosing 

 wastes do far more towards expelling such birds than shooting. 

 "Wherever there are suitable places and food, there the birds will 

 come ; how they find particular pools and places, it is difficult to 

 make out. C. M. A. (Northumberland). 



VERNAL MIGRATION OF THE LITTLE STINT, ETC. 



(Reprinted from " The Field" Newspaper, May Wth, 1863.) 



IN an account of the arrival of summer birds at Kingsbury, the 

 Little Stint is mentioned as appearing for a short time during 

 its vernal migration, together with the Dunlin, and other spe- 

 cies. Whilst the latter bird is to be found with us, at such 

 places as suit its habits at the various seasons, during every 

 month in the year, the former is a very rare bird except during 

 the month of September, when some young birds of the year ge- 

 nerally pass in their autumnal migration, but even at that season 

 it is only found at a few places, and is by no means common. 

 The only specimen in its summer plumage that I know of as 

 having occurred in the North of England I purchased at the sale 

 of Mr. Heysham's collection. It was killed at Brough Marsh 

 June 1st, 1839, by James Cooper, who then lived at Carlisle. 

 His account to me at the time is as follows : " I shot the Stint 

 just as I was leaving the sands in the afteruoen to go upon the 

 marsh ; heard a strange note amongst a few Ring Plovers that 

 alighted upon the grass about two hundred yards in advance ; 

 requested a friend, who was with me, to pass round them while 

 I lay down at the edge of a creek. "When he got within one 

 hundred yards I again heard the note approaching me ; thought 

 at first it was a clear- voiced Sanderling, not thinking at the 

 time of a Stint, which I had often heard in autumn, but never 



