THE LITTLE STINT. 577 



primaries. Bill short, straight, slender and slightly enlarged at tip. 

 Other structure as in G. a. alpina. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet black ; iris black. 

 Characters and allied species. — G. ruficollis (E. Siberia) in 

 winter has upper -parts greyer and in summer chin, throat and sides 

 of neck cinnamon -rufous ; juveniles indistinguishable. For differ- 

 ences of C. minutilla see under that species. G. subminuta (N.E. 

 Asia) is distinguished by its long middle toe, 22.5-25 mm. (in 

 C. minuta not exceeding 19.5) and darker upper -parts. G. tem- 

 minckii has 3 outer pairs of tail-feathers white. Small size and toes 

 not webbed distinguish the Little Stint from other British waders. 



Field -characters. — A diminutive Dunlin, but bill shorter and 

 straight and black breast-spot lacking. Occurs in similar places 

 and at same seasons as Curlew-Sandpiper, and like it usually permits 

 approach within a few paces. Most autumn birds are young, which 

 are not so grey as winter adults, have throat and upper-breast washed 

 warm buff, white fore -head, cheeks and eye -brows, and buff and 

 white marks on back. More lively in action and even quicker on 

 wing than Dunlin with which it often consorts. Cry on rising a 

 low, soft " wick-wick-wick." Miss Haviland describes alarm-note 

 at breeding-places as " drrrt." 



Breeding-habits. — Found in grassy marshes near shore, on tundra 

 and among dwarf willows. Nest. — Cup -shaped depression in swampy 

 ground lined with leaves of Salix, but not bents. Eggs. — Normally 

 4, pyriform, varying from pale greenish to buffish-stone, generally 

 rather more boldly marked than those of Temminck's Stint and 

 sometimes with large rich red-brown blotches and spots as well as a 

 few ashy shellmarks, but others are quite finely spotted. Average 

 of 100 eggs, 28.8x20.7. Max.: 31.7x20.3 and 30x21.4. Min. : 

 26.7x20 and 28.7x19.6 mm. Breeding -season. — End June and 

 July. Incubation. — By both sexes, but chiefly by female. Period 

 unknown. Single brooded. 



Food. — Small mollusca (Truncatella, etc.), worms, small Crustacea 

 (shrimps and sandhoppers), and insects, including coleoptera, 

 diptera (Tipulidse and larvae of mosquito), trichoptera (caddis flies) 

 and seeds of various shore -plants. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Passage -migrant (end July to early 

 Nov., rarely later), very rare anywhere spring (end March-mid- 

 June, exceptionally July). Regular autumn (but varying numbers), 

 east and south-east coasts England and south-east Scotland ; irre- 

 gular and scarce, north of Aberdeen (but recorded to Shetlands), 

 west coasts Great Britain (including some I. and 0. Hebrides) and 

 south coast England. In Ireland apparently regular autumn east 

 coast, very rare elsewhere ; only one doubtful spring-record. Occa- 

 sional inland. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Inhabits Siberian and north Russian 

 tundras (Murman Coast) and islands (Novaya Zemlia, Kolguev, 



VOL. II. 2 p 



