TRINGA. 279 



Distribution. This Stint breeds in the far North, but the nest and 

 eggs were almost unknown before the present year ; it migrates in 

 winter to Africa, Southern Asia, and A ustralia. It is common in 

 the cold season on many parts of the Indian and Burmese coasts ; 

 but, except at the period of migration, is rare inland. It arrives 

 in India as early as August, and leaves in Mav, most of the birds 

 being in rufous breeding-plumage before leaving. 



Habits, 6fc. In India the Curlew Stint generally occurs in flocks, 

 large or small, often associated with other small waders, and fre- 

 quents for the most part sand-banks or muddy flats on the 

 sea-shore or on the estuaries of large rivers. It is, like most of 

 the genus, excellent eating. 



1478. Tringa alpina. The Dunlin. 



Triuga alpina, Linn, tiyst. Nat. i, p. 249 (1766) ; Hume, S. F. vii, 

 pp.' 228, 487 ; id. Cat. no. 883 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 70 ; Barnes, Birds 

 Bom. p. 354 ; Seebohm, Charadr. p. 425. 



Tringa cinclus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 251 (1766) ; Bhjth, Cat. p. 269 ; 

 Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 690 ; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 240; Hume, S. F. i, 

 p. 242 ; Adam, ibid. p. 396 ; Hayes Lloyd, Ibis, 1873, p. 417 ; 

 Butler, S. F. v, pp. 233, 236. 



Pelidna alpina, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 602. 



Coloration. In winter plumage this closely resembles the last 

 species, T. subarquata : it is smaller, with a shorter bill, and differs 

 in having the rump and upper tail-coverts very dark brown, and 

 the middle rectrices, which project considerably beyond the others 

 at the end, much darker than the rest. There is also more white 

 on the secondaries, and the shaft- lines on the upper surface are 

 less defined. 



The summer plumage is very different. The crown, back, and 

 scapulars are bright rufous with black centres ; hind neck and sides 

 of neck hoary white with black streaks ; and all the lower breast 

 and upper abdomen occupied by a large sooty-black patch. 



Bill and legs black ; iris dark brown. 



Length 7*5 ; tail 2 ; wing 4*5 ; tarsus '95 ; bill from gape 1*3. 



Distribution. The Dunlin breeds in Northern Europe and Asia, 

 and migrates in winter to Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and 

 South-western Asia. It is found commonly in the cold season 

 throughout Northern India as far east as Calcutta, and stragglers 

 have been obtained as far south as Raipur ; but it has not been 

 observed in Southern India, in Ceylon, nor east of the Bay of 

 Bengal. 



Habits, $c. The Dunlin in India is as common inland as on the 

 coast, and is found along the larger rivers, on the edges of marshes, 

 arid in similar places, in flocks. According to Hume it is far more 

 abundant inland than T. subarqiiata. 



1479. Tringa platyrhyncha. The Broad-billed Stint. 



Tringa platyrincha, Temm. Man. tfOrn. p. 398 (1815). 

 Limicola pygmaea, Koch, Baier. Zool. i, p. 316 (1816). 

 Tringa platyrhyncha, Blyth, Cat. p. 269 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 69J ; 



