426 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



says the largest specimen he ever saw was five inches 

 and three-quarters in length, whereas the Little 

 Stint is six inches, and the little Summer Snipe, to 

 which we are more accustomed, is seven inches and 

 a half. The descriptions, according to Yarrell, 

 at different times of the year are as follows : " The 

 heak is dull black ; irides dark brown ; feathers of 

 the head and neck pale brown, speckled with dark 

 brown ; feathers of the scapulars and back, some 

 ash-brown, others black with rufous margins ; wing- 

 coverts nearly uniform ash- brown ; primaries dusky 

 brown, the shaft of the first quill-feather whiter than 

 those of the others ; secondaries dusky, but tipped 

 with white ; tertials uniform dusky brown ; tail- 

 coverts dusky brown, those nearest the tail-feathers 

 almost black ; tail uniform, or somewhat graduated, 

 the central pair of tail-feathers the longest, the 

 darkest in colour and pointed ; the next feather on 

 each outside ash-brown, the next ash-grey, the three 

 outside feathers on each side white, tinged with light 

 ash-grey in the outer webs only, the outside feathers 

 on each side the shortest ; the chin is white ; the 

 sides of the neck grey ; the neck in front pale brown, 

 spotted with dusky brown and tinged with buff; 

 breast, belly and under tail-coverts white ; under 

 surface of the wings ash-grey ; axillary plume white ; 

 legs and toes greenish brown." This is the descrip- 

 tion of a bird killed in May. An adult bird killed in 

 October has " the head and neck ash-grey, varied 



