THE SPOON-BILLED STINT. 
395 
In summer the plumage is rich rufous throughout^ variegated by black 
abovCj and the feathers of the abdomen are margined with dull white. 
Bill black ; iris brown ; legs and toes greenish brown. 
Length 8 inches^ tail 2*1^ wing 5'1^ tarsus 1'2^ bill from gape 1*6. The 
bill is curved downwards throughout its entire length. 
The Curlew Stint is tolerably common in the low tidal portions of the 
plains between the Pegu and Sittang rivers ; Dr. Armstrong procured 
it in the Irrawaddy Delta ; Mr. Blyth gives it from Arrakan ; and Mr. 
Davison found it along the whole coast of Tenasserim. 
It occurs^ according to season_, throughout the whole of Europe^ Africa 
and Asia_, ranging down through the archipelago to New Guinea and 
Australia. Its breeding-haunts are not known ; but they will doubtless 
be found to be in the far north of Asia. 
I found this Stint frequenting mud-banks in tidal creeks in small flocks. 
It is probably late in arriving in the Province. 
Genus EURYNORHYNCHUS, Miss. 
737. EURYNOHHYNCHUS PYGMiEUS. 
THE SPOON-BILLED STINT. 
Platalea pygmaea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 231. Eurynorhynchus griseus, Miss., 
Teinm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 594 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 693. Eurynorh.ynch.us 
pygmsBUS^ Harting, Ibis, 1869, p. 427, pi. xii. ; Bl. B. Bimn. p. 166 ; Arm- 
strong, S. F. IT. p. 343 ; Bavid et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 474 ; Hume Sj- Dav. S. F. 
vi. p. 463 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 113 ; Oates, 8. F. x. p. 240. 
Description. — Winter plumage. Forehead^ lores^ sides of the head, the 
whole lower plumage^ under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white ; the 
whole upper plumage^ wing-coverts_, scapulars and tertiaries hair-brown_, 
each feather centred darker and edged with whitish ; the greater coverts 
with broad white tips ; secondaries chiefly white^ the centres being occu- 
pied by a pale brown streak ; primaries brown^ tipped darker^ the shafts 
nearly wholly white^ the edges of the outer webs whitish ; tail brown^ the 
inner webs of all but the central pair chiefly white. 
In summer the head_, neck^ back and breast are ferruginous ; the feathers 
of the head, nape and back with dark brown centres^ those of the throat 
and breast slightly margined with white ; underparts, from the breast 
downwards^ becoming gradually whiter towards the tail ; primaries some- 
what darker than in winter; legs and toes black. [Harting.) 
Bill black; irides deep brown; legs black. (Jerdon.) 
