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BIRDS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND. 
DUNLIN. Triaga alpina, Linnaeus. 
“ Oxbird,” “ Plover’s page,” “ Purre,” “ Sea-Snipe,” “ Stint.” 
An uncommon autumn and winter visitant from the coast, which has, I 
believe, never been met with in Leicestershire in its spring or breeding plumage. — 
Harley recorded it for Bosworth and Loughborough, and also noted several 
examples killed “in the immediate vicinity of the disused reservoir of the 
Forest.” Mr. Sebastian Evans, writing to the late Rev. Churchill Babington, 
who kindly furnished me with the note, quoted from his brother, the late Rev. 
Arthur Evans’ miscellaneous bird notes : — “ Dunlin shot at Gopsall, January, 
1847.” Mr. Macaulay (‘Mid. Nat.,’ 1882, p. 78) said: — “Occasionally seen 
on our reservoir in small parties. I noticed a flock of fourteen there during 
the past winter, 1881.” I saw four specimens in the possession of Mr. S. 
Bevans, shot by him in the Abbey Meadow, about 1878-9; one in the 
possession of T. W. Tebbs, shot by him at Blaby, about the same time ; 
and two in the flesh, in winter plumage, shot at Fleckney, by Mr. C. Allsop, 
20th Oct., 1885. I purchased two for the Museum : one from Elkington, in 
1885, said to have been killed in the Abbey Meadow some years before ; 
the other from Harry Throsby, who shot it with a catapult, on the canal, 
near the Gas-works, Aylestone Road, 2nd Feb., 1888, and brought it to me 
in the flesh. 
IflTTLE STINT. Tringa minuta (Leisler). 
Two of these rare little autumnal migrants — never before recorded for the 
county — were shot out of a party of three, on 22nd Sept., 1885, at Saddington 
Reservoir, by Mr. Macaulay, who generously presented them to the Museum. 
The larger of the two, an immature female containing small eggs, weighed 
352 grs. ; total length, 6;^ inches ; bill ; tarsus, ; carpus to tip of wing, 4|-. 
The other, also apparently an immature female, but rather difficult to determine, 
weighed | oz. or 330 grs. ; extreme length, 5| inches ; bill, — ; tarsus, ; 
carpus to tip of wing, 4. The occurrence of these was noted in the ‘ Field ’ 
of 10th Oct., 1885. Previous to this, however, it had occurred in the county, 
for the Rev. W. H. Marriott shot one at Saddington Reservoir, which was 
unfortunately recorded as being Temminck’s Stint (see following species). 
Addressing Mr. Marriott, in January, 1888, for particulars, he wrote me : — 
“My belief is that it was shot some years earlier than the one (1860) you name, 
about 1854 or 1855, towards the latter part of the summer, but I have not 
kept the exact date.” This specimen, which has been kindly presented to 
the Museum hy Mr. Marriott, is very similar to the 1885 specimens. Pinchen 
tells me that he had two to mount, which, he believes were shot at the 
“Dead Hole,” Belgrave, about September or October, 1887, but, as he does not 
know the name of the man who shot them, this statement must be taken for 
what it is worth. 
