140 THE LITTLE STINT. CHAP. vin. 



his gun. But he wished to observe their habits, and 

 he waited for some time. Having satisfied himself 

 on this head, he next endeavoured to possess them. 

 He shot one of them ; the other flew away. 



He now desired to possess the other bird ; but it 

 was with extreme difficulty that he could accomplish 

 his object. Though the goose returned, it was so 

 extremely shy that it could scarcely be approached. 

 It was only by making use of many precautions, and 

 resorting to some very curious stratagems, that Ed- 

 ward was able to capture the bird. A week elapsed 

 before he could secure it. He shot it on Saturday ; 

 but he did not recover it until the following morning. 



On another occasion a Little Stint (the least of 

 the Sandpipers) cost him two days and a night. It 

 was the first bird of the kind he had ever seen, 

 and it was the last. Though he was occasionally 

 within a mile or two of Banff during the pursuit of 

 the bird, and though he had not tasted food during 

 the whole of his absence, lying during part of the 

 night amongst the shingle on the sea-shore, yet he 

 never once thought of leaving the chase until final 

 success crowned his efforts. We must allow him 

 to tell the story in his own words. 



" I once had a desperate hunt after a Little Stint 

 (Tringd minuta). Eeturning home one evening along 

 the links,* I heard a strange cry coming, as it seemed, 



* Links sandy flat ground, sometimes covered with grass, lying 

 along the sea-shore. 



