LITTLE STINT 265 



TEMMINCK'S STINT 



TRINGA TEMMINCKI 



Bill slightly bent down at the tip, much shorter than the head ; tail gradu- 

 ated. Winter — upper plumage brown and dusky ; breast reddish ; 

 lower plumage and outer tail-feathers white ; bill and feet brown. 

 Summer — All the upper feathers black, bordered with rust-red ; breast 

 reddish ash, streaked with black. Length five and a half inches. Eggs 

 unknown. 



Temminck, in whose honour this bird was named, states that it 

 ' inhabits the Arctic Regions, and is seen on its passage at two 

 periods of the year in different parts of Germany, on the banks of 

 lakes and rivers ; probably, also, in the interior of France ; never 

 along the maritime coasts of Holland ; very rare on the Lake of 

 Geneva. Its food consists of small insects. It probably builds 

 its nest very far north.' A few have been killed in England, and 

 it occurs in many parts of Asia and in North Africa, but it is nowhere 

 abundant, being an irregular visitor, only on migration. 



LITTLE STINT 



TRINGA MINUTA 



Bill straight, shorter than the head ; two middle and two outer feathers of 

 the tail longer than the rest (' tail doubly forked ') ; tarsus ten lines; 

 upper plumage ash and dusky ; a brown streak between the bill and 

 the eye ; under plumage white ; outer feathers of the tail ash-brown, 

 edged with whitish ; middle ones brown ; bill and feet black. Length 

 five and a half inches. Eggs reddish white, spotted with dark red- 

 brown. 



A RARE and occasional visitant, appearing from time to time in 

 small flocks on the muddy or sandy sea-coast. My friend, the Rev. 

 W. S. Hore (to whom I am indebted for many valuable notes, 

 incorporated in the text of this volume), obtained several specimens 

 of this bird in October, 1840, on the Laira mud banks, near Plymouth. 

 In their habits they differed little from the Dunlin. They were at 

 first very tame, but after having been fired at became more cautious. 

 In their food and mode of collecting it, nothing was observed to 

 distinguish them from the other Sandpipers. They come on passage 

 in spring and autumn. 



