200 BRITISH BIRDS. 



others are more sparingly marked, having most of the spots clustered 

 on the large end, where many of them are confluent, and on these the 

 underlying markings are larger than usual. They vary in length from 

 1'38 to T25 inch, and in breadth from '95 to *87 inch. It is not easy to 

 confuse them with those of any other British bird ; but some varieties of 

 the eggs of the American Stint resemble them in colour, though they are 

 much smaller. 



The Broad-billed Sandpiper only appears to rear one fcrood in the year, 

 and the old birds are devotedly attached to their young. Both birds assist 

 in incubating the eggs, for Collett found sitting-spots on the breast of both 

 sexes. After the breeding-season the birds unite into little parties, which 

 keep company during the winter. 



It is not known that there is any difference between the sexes in this 

 species in the colour of their various plumages, which closely resemble 

 those of the Little Stint. The adult in breeding-plumage has the general 

 colour of the upper parts blackish brown, most of the feathers margined with 

 chestnut, but a few of them with white ; the quills are brown, and a white 

 bar is conspicuous during flight, formed by the white tips of the primary and 

 greater wing-coverts ; the smaller wing-coverts retain the greyish-brown 

 plumage of winter, not being moulted nor changing in colour in spring ; 

 the rump, upper tail-coverts, and two centre tail-feathers are coloured like 

 the back, the remaining tail-feathers being greyish brown. The feathers 

 over the eye and on the neck, breast, flanks, and the under tail-coverts 

 are white, with brown centres, the rest of the underparts being pure white. 

 Bill dark brown, paler on the under mandible; legs, feet, and claws 

 greenish black; irides hazel. After the autumn moult the prevailing 

 colour of the upper parts is brownish grey, each feather having an obscure 

 dark centre (most developed on the rump and upper tail-coverts) and an 

 indistinct pale margin; the underparts are pure white, streaked with 

 brownish grey on the neck and breast. Young in first plumage differ 

 from adults in breeding- plumage in having the chestnut margins of the 

 feathers of the upper parts more developed, the white margins less so 

 and suffused with buff, as are also the wing-coverts ; the breast is also 

 suffused with buff, and the streaks are much less distinct. Birds of the 

 year probably only differ from adults in winter plumage in having the wing- 

 coverts of the youug in first plumage. After the first spring moult the 

 Broad-billed Sandpiper resembles the Little Stint in having the chestnut 

 margins of the feathers of the upper parts broader, and the spots on the 

 breast fewer and less defined. Young in down resemble those of the 

 Dunlin, but the ground-colour of the plumage is much greyer. 



