192 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Martin, the first of the spring, was seen in the valley, and on the 
higher ground a pair of Ring Ouzels were disturbed, as also three 
or four Twites. Altham once found a Twite’s nest on Pendle, 
and the old bird was singing as she sat upon her eggs. Our 
main object was to find the Little Stint, which has often occurred 
on these moors in May, but the ground was so dry from scarcity 
of rain and east winds that this had to be given up. A nest of 
young birds in down, thought by the finder to be those of the 
Little Stint, was taken on May 20th, 1876. These are still in 
his possession, and I borrowed one a little while ago, in order to 
compare it with Mr. Harvie-Brown’s Petchora examples, which 
he kindly permitted me to do. Little doubt remained that it 
was a Dunlin, but the followimg particulars will show how im- 
portant it is not to take uncertain nests of this sort without 
absolute identification. The finder of these young in down 
informed an old naturalist living near, a man perfectly acquainted 
with the Stints, and early in June he went on this moor, and saw 
an undoubted pair of the Little Stint, they being very tame, and 
permitting approach within five yards many times. No nest, 
however, was found. In 1877, on May 28th, another visit was 
paid, and a pair of birds again seen running like mice among 
the tufts, squeaking, but again no nest. 1876 and 1877 were 
very wet springs, and the moors were full of damp places, and 
covered with little pools. Every year since it has been very dry 
in spring, and no Stints have been seen. The old keeper who 
had been on the moor for forty years averred that he was familiar 
with a pair or two of birds, which appeared nearly every spring, 
not much bigger than larks, and resembling Dunlin, but without 
the black breast; he called them Little Dunlins, and was sure 
they bred. To some the idea of a bird breeding in Lancashire, 
whose eggs were unknown until the Petchora expedition may 
seem ridiculous, but I simply relate the facts, without drawing 
any conclusions, and only say that I have been impressed with 
the bond fide character of the evidence I have been able to gather. 
The Dunlin breeds every year on these moors, and we saw a fine 
one feeding, but could not raise its mate. It would seem to 
frequent the whole of the range. R. Leyland, of Halifax, 
says (Mag. Nat. Hist. 1828) that ‘‘ it breeds on Blackstone Edge ;”’ 
and on Pendle it has been seen several times in full breeding- 
plumage, though a thoroughly authenticated nest has never, that 
