TEINGA TEMMESTCKI. 895 



on the lakes near the Arctic Ocean, on the islands in the river-deltas, and in the Stanowoi Mountains. 

 Mr. Seebohm found a nest as early as the 24th of June on the Yenesay, and later on took its eggs on the 

 islands of the delta in lat. 70|° and 7U°. It is interesting to know (if Severtzoff is certain of the fact) that 

 it breeds in the mountains of Turkestan ; and should this be the case, it is just possible that T. subarquata 

 breeds in Kashgar, as Dr. Scully was informed. 



In Europe Mr. Dresser found it breeding in the Uleaborg Islands off Finland, and gives the following 

 account of it : — " I spent the 12th of June on the islands outside of Uleaborg, looking for nests, and found 



one of this bird on Akkio Island It was situated near the middle of the island, some twenty or more 



yards from the shore ; and being placed where the grass was thick, it was not seen till almost trodden upon. 

 It was a mere hollow in the earth, such as might be made by working the large end of a hen's egg in soft soil, 

 with small hay-straws neatly arranged round the inside, and contained four eggs, all placed with the pointed 

 end towards the centre. Both birds were very fearless, and did not go from the nest, but every now and then 

 flew up in the air and descended again in circles, fluttering like a Skylark, uttering at the same time a peculiar 

 churring sound, which they also emitted while sitting on any elevated place. A favourite perch of one of them 

 was a pole which had been set up for a pilot's mark, but had been broken off about 8 feet from the ground ; 

 on this the bird would sit for a quarter of an hour at a time, churring all the time, and would allow me to 

 approach within a few feet of it." 



Mr. John Wolley, the celebrated oologist, in giving Mr. Hewitson an account of its nesting, which was 

 published in the latter gentleman's 'British Birds' Eggs,' also speaks of this Stint's interesting habits while 

 rearing its young. He says : — " Nothing can be more interesting or pretty than this little bird in the early part 

 of summer ; it is so tame that one could often catch it in a net at the end of a stick. At one time it is hovering 

 with its wings raised over its back, or floating about, and it reminds one rather of some insect than any other 

 bird ; at another time it may be standing on the top of a stone or stake, or the gable end of a cottage ; and 

 whether hovering or standing on its perch, it utters a constant trilling note, of which I can best give an idea by 

 saying that it brought to my recollection the Grasshopper Warbler, though the resemblance is perhaps slight. 

 When its eggs are very near, it sometimes runs about one's feet, and, though it cannot but be anxious, it seems 

 as busy as ever, picking gnats and other insects off the grass." 



The eggs are four in number, and vary very much in ground-colour ; a large series in Mr. Seebohm's 

 museum now before me vary from greenish white to buff stone-colour, and also olive-grey, between 

 which there are various shades of buff. The markings are usually rather small sharp-edged blots of deep 

 brown, mixed with smaller specks of the same, chiefly gathered about the large end, but not confluent or in 

 the form of a cap ; and beneath them lie small spots of bluish grey. Some, however, have the large end tole- 

 rably covered with large blotches ; but the markings on the rest of the egg, with one or two exceptions, are of 

 the normal small size. In some of the buff eggs the blotches and spots are pale brownish red. The green 

 eggs have the darkest colouring. As in other Waders, the markings take a diagonal direction round the 

 middle of the egg. They are pyriform in shape, and range in dimensions between 1T5 and 1'04 inch in 

 length, and 081 and - 78 respectively in breadth. 



