46 



entirely white, the outermost feather wholly so, the next white, with the exception of a shade of ashy 

 near the tip of the outer web ; and this increases in amount as we approach the two centre feathers, 

 which are greenish brown, the quill on each side being entirely ashy brown; under surface of the body 

 whitish, the fore part of the breast ashy with a strong tinge of rufous, and slightly mottled with darker 

 brown; under wing-coverts white, the small ones round the bend of the wing brown with narrow 

 edgings of white, the greater ones ashy grey ; bill blackish ; feet light brown ; iris dark brown. Total 

 length 5'6 inches, culmen 07, wing 3 - 75, tail T9, tarsus 065. 



Young male in autumn. Above greyish brown, with buff edgings to the feathers, each dorsal plume being 

 margined with this colour, and also with an inner line of black, as well as a black shaft, these yellowish 

 edgings being especially plain on the head and wing-coverts ; the sides of the face and hinder neck are 

 greyish ; the lores and cheeks slightly inclining to whitish ; the quills, as in the adult bird, tipped and 

 edged with white in the same manner, though the latter colour is slightly tinged with buff, with which 

 also the inner secondaries are edged ; under surface of the body whitish, the chest ashy grey, with a 

 slight tinge of buff. 



Winter plumage. Above entirely greyish brown, slightly glossed with green, with no black centres to the 

 feathers, beyond a narrow line of black down the shaft, so that the upper surface of the body appears 

 to be uniform greyish brown ; lower part of the back and rump darker and more blackish ; wings as in 

 summer, but without any rufcras edgings to any of the feathers ; sides of the face and neck also greyish 

 brown ; the lores and cheeks being whitish with narrow streaks of brown : under surface of the body 

 white, the fore part of the breast ashy brown, slightly varied with white in the centre. 



Explanation of the Plate. The figures represent a Temminek^s Stint in full winter plumage, and a Little 

 Stint in autumnal dress, not in full winter garb, as it is very seldom that one in complete winter 

 plumage is met with in Europe. It may always be told from the present species by its white-shafted 

 quills and ashy tail-feathers. 



In the western countries of Europe Temminck's Stint is of rarer occurrence than the Little Stint ; 

 hut, unlike that species, it breeds within European limits, and is indeed in some countries no 

 rarer than that species. Its winter home is found in the south of Europe and N.-E. Africa, and 

 more particularly in India and China. 



In Great Britain it is generally looked upon as a rare bird ; and most of the local lists can 

 only reckon one or two instances of its occurrence ; it is as yet only known to have been procured 

 once in Ireland ; and we are unaware of any instance of its capture in Scotland. Regarding its 

 occurrence in Norway, our friend Mr. Robert Collett writes : — " It occurs more frequently, 

 probably, near Christiania, than has been supposed, and, although it does not breed so far 

 south, it is found on the coast from the middle of May into the month of June. Late in August 

 they appear again, but are not so numerous as in spring." In Sweden, according to Nilsson, 

 although the larger number go up to the high north to breed, still a few remain in the southern 

 and eastern parts of Central Sweden. At Morko, in Sodermanland, it has been seen and shot in 

 pairs both in the early part and also the middle of May ; and in the middle of August families of 

 young birds have been observed. On the shores of Ostergothland pairs have also been noticed 

 on the 22nd of May. Near Gothenburg it is often met with in the summer, and is supposed to 

 breed there. At Karesuando it is numerous in the spring. It is found on most of the mosses on 

 the fells, though not numerous. 



