LITTLE & TEMMINCK'S STINT SANDPIPER. 115 



Eggs. Four. Greenish or huffish white, well spotted and 

 blotched with two shades of reddish brown and grey. Pyri- 

 form shape. 



LITTLE STINT (Tringa minuta). 



A visitor in small numbers on migration, usually observed 

 in autumn and again in spring, more particularly on the east 

 coast. 



Haunts. Mud- and sandy flats. 



Observation. In general appearance like a diminutive Dunlin, 

 without black on lower breast. 



Plumage. Upper parts variegated with rufous and black. 

 Throat and upper breast tinged with rufous, and speckled with 

 dark brown; under parts white. Bill, legs, and feet black. 

 Length 6 in. Female similar, but rather larger. In winter 

 upper parts ashy brown, and rufous on throat is lost. Young : 

 feathers above margined with huffish white. 



Language. A sharp " wick." When heard in a flock, the 

 noise seems like that of grasshoppers. 



Habits. When with us they usually consort in small flocks, 

 sometimes keeping company with Dunlins and Sanderlings. 

 Very tame in disposition. 



Food. Aquatic insects, worms, small Crustacea and 

 mollusca. 



Nidification. Breeds in Northern Europe and Asia. 



TEMMINCK'S STINT (Tringa temmincki). 



A more irregular visitor on migration than the Little Stint, 

 which it much resembles in plumage, size, &c. Its call-note 

 is a sharp " ptirr." 



CURLEW SANDPIPER (Tringa subarquata). 



An annual visitor on migration in small numbers, chiefly to 

 the east coast. 



Haunts. Mud- and sand-flats. Sometimes penetrating 

 inland. 



Plumage. Head, neck, and mantle chestnut, streaked and 

 barred with black and grey. Upper tail-coverts huffish white, 

 and barred with black. Quills and tail-feathers ash-grey. 

 Under parts chestnut, barred indistinctly with brown and grey 

 on belly and flanks. Bill, legs, and feet black. Note slightly 

 down-curved bill. Length 8 in. Female similar, but slightly 

 larger. In winter, upper parts ash-brown, mottled with dark 

 and pale brown ; under parts and upper tail-coverts white. 

 Young : feathers above edged with buff ; tail-coverts white ; 



