78 SCOLOPACID.E. 



The general appearance of the Little Stint is very peculiar, 

 owing to the great contrast of its upper and under plumage: 

 the pure white of the under plumage and the rich dusky brown 

 of the upper parts, occasion the bird to become a marked ob- 

 ject both on the ground and on the wing ; its longer legs dis- 

 tinguish it, besides, at all times from the former species 

 (Temminck's Stint). Its habits are sociable towards its own 

 species as well as towards others of its family, in so far that it 

 associates frequently with Temminck's Stint, the buff-breasted 

 sandpiper, the purre and the sanderlings. 



It is by no means difficult to approach the Little Stint 

 within gun shot, and the most proper time to go in search 

 of it is from ten till two o'clock in the day, during which 

 time it generally sleeps : as soon as the bird is surprised 

 it runs a little distance very quickly, and then takes wing. 

 The flight of this species is much like that of the other 

 Sandpipers, quick, but rather unsteady, and with arched 

 wings. When the Little Stint intends to fly but a short 

 distance, it only skims the surface, but on leaving the 

 neighbourhood it rises high in the air and quickly disappears. 

 The note uttered by the Little Stint sounds like the 

 word dear, dear ! pronounced in a high tone. Owing to 

 the sociable nature of this bird, it is a very easy matter 

 to keep it in confinement ; under such circumstances it must 

 be fed at first with small worms and bread and milk, under 

 which treatment it soon becomes satisfied with artificial food, 

 such as the universal paste of Bechstein, &c. 



Respecting the reproduction of the species nothing is 

 satisfactorily known, but it is supposed to breed in the arctic 

 regions. While we were engaged in publishing the quarto 

 edition of British Birds, Mr. Yarrell very obligingly lent us 

 an egg to figure from, as the egg of the present species ; 

 the peculiar shape as well as colouring of this specimen 



