THE PUEPLE SANDPIPER. 



TRINGA MARITIMA. 



Bill longer than the head, slightly bent down at the tip, dusky, the base reddish 

 orange ; head and neck dusky brown, tinged with grey ; back and scapulars 

 black, with purple and violet reflections, the feathers edged with deep ash ; 

 breast grey and white ; under plumage white, streaked on the flanks with 

 grey ; feet ochre-yellow. Length eight and a quarter inches. Eggs yellowish 

 olive, spotted and speckled with reddish brown. 



The Purple Sandpiper is described as being far less 

 common than the Dunlin, and differing from it in habits, 

 inasmuch as it resorts to the rocky coast in preference to 

 sandy flats. The few specimens of it which I have seen 

 were associated with Dunlins, flying in the same flocks 

 with them, feeding with them, and so closely resembling 

 them in size and movements, that a description of the one 

 equally characterises the other. It was only, in' fact, by 

 the difference of colour that I could discriminate between 

 them ; and this I did, on several occasions, with great 

 ease, having obtained my specimens singly while they were 

 surrounded by other birds. According to Mr. Dunn, " The 

 Purple Sandpiper is very numerous in Orkney and Shet- 



