Hi Tweets,

Looking up something else in Chris Leahy's wonderful 'The Birdwatcher's
Companion' (long out of print, sadly; I have an extra copy if anyone's
interested--C$20.00 or about US$15.00: that'll cover what I paid for it plus
handling. Reply privately if interested.) and came across this.

STINT. Standard English name in Britain and its former empire for the
smaller sandpiper s in the genus *Calidris*....

Since stints bring many ID headaches with only the rarest of joys, can one
assume this is England's revenge on a wayward and headstrong colony? '-)

Worth noting that Brits capitalise the 'E' in 'Empire', Americans the 'C' in
'Colony' but each leaves the other not so. Interesting how such a facet of
common usage is a tiny reminding fossil of such an enormous world-change as
the American Revolution (and who won, who lost), like a shell in stone that
was formed during the Cambrian efflorescence.

Michael Price The Sleep of Reason Gives Birth to Monsters
Vancouver BC Canada -Goya
mprice at mindlink.net