THE SPOON-BILLED STINT. 395 



In summer the plumage is rich rufous throughout, variegated by black 

 above, and the feathers of the abdomen are margined with dull white. 



Bill black ; iris brown; legs and toes greenish brown. 



Length 8 inches, tail 2*1, \vin^ 5'1, tarsus 1'2, bill from gape 1*6. The 

 bill is curved downwards throughout its entire length. 



The Curlew Stint is tolerably common in the low tidal portions of the 

 plains between the Pegu and Sittang rivers; Dr. Armstrong procured 

 it in the Irrawaddy Delta; Mr. Blyth gives it from Arrakan ; and Mr. 

 Davison found it along the whole coast of Tenasserim. 



It occurs, according to season, throughout the whole of Europe, Africa 

 and Asia, ranging down through the archipelago to New Guinea and 

 Australia. Its breeding-haunts are not known ; but they will doubtless 

 be found to be in the far north of Asia. 



I found this Stint frequenting mud-banks in tidal creeks in small flocks. 

 It is probably late in arriving in the Province. 



Genus EURYNORHYNCHUS, miss. 



737. EURYNORHYNCHUS PYGUVLEUS. 

 THE SPOON-BILLED STINT. 



Platalea pygmaea, Linn. Sysi. Nat i. p. 231. Eurynorhynchus griseus, Nilss., 

 Tcmm. Man. cFOrn. ii. p. 594 ; Jerd. B. 2nd. ii. p. 693. Eurynorhynclms 

 pygmseus, Hurting, Ibis, 1869, p. 427, pi. xii. ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 156 ; Arm- 

 strong, S. F. iv. p. 343 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 474 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. 

 vi. p. 463 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 113 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 240. 



Description. Winter plumage. Forehead, lores, sides of the head, the 

 whole lower plumage, under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white ; the 

 whole upper plumage, wing-coverts, scapulars and tertiaries hair-brown, 

 each feather centred darker and edged with whitish ; the greater coverts 

 with broad white tips ; secondaries chiefly white, the centres being occu- 

 pied by a pale brown streak ; primaries brown, tipped darker, the shafts 

 nearly wholly white, the edges of the outer webs whitish ; tail brown, the 

 inner webs of all but the central pair chiefly white. 



In summer the head, neck, back and breast are ferruginous ; the feathers 

 of the head, nape and back with dark brown centres, those of the throat 

 and breast slightly margined with white ; underparts, from the breast 

 downwards, becoming gradually whiter towards the tail ; primaries some- 

 what darker than in winter; legs and toes black. (Hartiny.) 



Bill black ; irides deep brown; legs black. (Jerdon.) 



