I40 THE lURDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



south than that of many of its relatives. It includes Scandi- 

 navia, Iceland, and the Faeroes ; though nesting in the Shet- 

 lands is still unproved, reports that it has done so there and in 

 other parts of Britain may have foundation. In the more 

 southern portion of its range it is resident, and northern 

 breeders do not travel far beyond the Mediterranean. In the^ 

 British Isles it is a well-distributed visitor from August until 

 June, and a few non-breeding birds remain all summer. 



The Purple Sandpiper is local on our coasts simply because 

 it is a rock-haunting species, and seldom visits sandy shores or 

 mud flats. In small flocks it frequents tangle-covered reefs 

 and rocky shores, feeding at low tide amidst the debris at the 

 foot of the cliffs. It shares the tastes of the Turnstone, its 

 constant companion. A very dark, squat bird, it may be 

 recognised by its habits as much as by its appearance ; if seen 

 at close quarters, by no means difficult, for it is absurdly 

 indifferent to the presence of man, its short yellow legs and 

 the white patch on the inner secondaries when its flies are 

 distinctive characters. The ebb is the favourite feeding time 

 of this rock bird ; it then catches the molluscs, worms, and 

 crustaceans before they have hidden themselves under stones 

 or in the thick weed ; it wades in the shallowing rock pool, 

 nipping up the retreating crab or prawn, and not refusing a 

 small goby or other fish ; Mr. G. Bolam has seen it devouring 

 the ova of the lumpsucker. Surf on the rocks does not dis- 

 concert it ; at the right moment it runs like a mouse to 

 drier rock, or leaps into the air and hovers until the breaking 

 wave retreats. It will alight in the backwash, and if swept 

 from its foothold swims buoyantly. Stranded weed is thrown 

 over and the astonished sandhoppers pounced upon. 



Quick on the wing, its flight is more direct than that of most 

 sandpipers ; it hurries from reef to reef as each is uncovered. 

 At high tide a little party will stand together on the rocks out 

 of reach of the waves but not of the spray ; there they will 



