I can shed no light on the nature of the mysterious
lintips either, except perhaps for the etymology of their name, which may contain the adjective
lint(a) 'quick, swift, clever, nimble' - an invention which haunted Tolkien's language-making from the early Nevbosh of his teenage years right up to the mature Quenya of
Namarië. So whatever they were, they seem to have been quick-footed creatures, flitting along like mice; and given that Tom wonders whether they slide down from the Moon or come in star-winks (travelling on rays of Moon- or starlight?), could it perhaps be that they moved at the speed of light? That would of course explain why they didn't talk to him - he was just too slow to keep up with them, even in his fabulous yellow boots!
