888 TRINGA MIXUTA. 



" It was upon the sloping tundra, and upon the sloping meadow, that we found all our nests of eggs and 



young in down of the Little Stint This part of the tundra hears a thick growth of arctic bramble 



{Rubus arcticus), which, in some places, scarcely leaves a square yard free of vegetation. The dwarf rhodo- 

 dendron (Ledum palustre) is also abundant, but is small and inconspicuous. Large quantities of deep, soft, 

 faded Sphagnum cover also a considerable part of the ground; and growing through this are Carices (Carex 

 rariflora and another) and grasses, and a green star-shaped moss, the latter being the same which is often 

 found on the ground frequented by the Grey Plovers. Reindeer-moss is scarce upon this Little-Stint ground, 

 growing only in patches here and there ; but the innumerable small round hummocks, with which parts of it 

 are thickly covered, bear a thin crust of minute white lichen, which, blending with the darker colour of the 

 peat soil upon which it grows, gives a hoary appearance to the higher portions of the slope." 



The nests were little depressions made in the ground or with soft yellow Sphagnum, of which the turf in 

 some places consists to the depth of 4 inches ; some were rather rough and untidy round the edge, and only 

 sparingly lined with small leaves, which might " have been plucked by the bird as she sat on her nest/' The 

 nests made in Sphagnum had the appearance of being formed by the pressing-down of the moss by the bird's 

 body ; those which were in turf not consisting of Sphagnum were lined " with more leaves — dried dwarf willow 

 (Salix glauca) and arctic bramble, either gathered by the bird herself or drifted into them by the wind." Another 

 nest was in loose sandy soil, the little excavation being lined with dried willow-leaves and bits of carex. The 

 eggs were in all cases four in number, miniature Dunlin's in character, the ground-colour varying from greenish 

 white to dusky olive-grey, and most of them richly blotched at the larger end with rich reddish brown, the 

 darker eggs being similarly marked all over, and in one specimen the markings run into one another so as to 

 form very handsome irregularly-edged clouds. They are pyriform in shape, some being more compressed at 

 the small end than others, and vary from 1*13 to 1*15 inch in length by from 08 to 0'8-A in breadth. The 

 old birds exhibited a most charming ignorance of danger (which unfortunately, in the interests of science, had 

 to be taken advantage of), having the habit, in common with most Waders, of feigning lameness or a broken 

 wing, and trailing themselves along the ground to entice the intruder from their nests ; but when he was 

 accompanied by a dog they showed much more timidity. The following extract from Mr. Harvie Brown's 

 journal, published in the article in question, is illustrative of the nature of these interesting little birds: — 



"As I came nearer I saw a small bird flying in circles round him (Piottuch) and Simeon, and alighting 

 now and again close to them. Seeing this I ran forward, and Piottuch held out two young Little Stints, not 

 more than a day, or at most two days out of the shell. I sat down ; and ere many seconds elapsed the old 

 bird alighted within a yard or two of our feet, uttering a very small, anxious, whistling note. My gun lay on 

 the ground beside me, within reach of my hand ; and I put down one of the young about six inches beyond 

 it. Almost immediately the old bird advanced close up to it, and, uttering its low notes, endeavoured to lead 

 it away. Piottuch then held out the other young one in his left hand, and it uttered a scarcely audible cheep. 

 The old bird advanced fearlessly to within twelve inches of his hand ; and he nearly caught it. I then shouted 

 to Seebohm to come, being at the same time prepared to shoot the bird if it flew away to any distance ; but 

 no, it only flew about ten or fifteen yards, and then began to sham lameness, tumbling about amongst the 

 little hummocks and hollows, and never going further from us than about thirty paces. Seebohm now came 

 up, and took his seat beside us. The old bird became a little shier, but still flew round us in circles, 

 alighting, as before, from time to time." 



On the Yenesay Mr. Seebohm had eggs brought to him in lat. 71j° by a Samoyede, which were taken in 

 the middle of July. 



