506 THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 
No. 231. 
PURPLE SANDPIPER 
A. O. U. No. 235. Arquatella maritima (Brunn.). 
Description.—A dult in summer: Upper parts blackish, top of head streaked 
with dull buffy, and the back and scapulars spotted and margined with the same; 
wings fuscous-gray, the greater coverts bordered, and secondaries narrowly 
tipped with white; the innermost secondaries almost entirely white; upper tail- 
coverts brownish dusky; tail fuscous centrally, brownish gray, lightened by 
whitish edgings laterally; throat and breast light grayish brown streaked with 
dusky; the chin, lower eye-lid, and remaining under parts white. “Legs, feet, 
and bill at base light flesh-color; rest of bill greenish black’ (Coues). Adult in 
winter: Head and neck all around and well down sooty gray or mouse-brown; 
the chin, lower eye-lid, and a space in front of and over eye whitening ; remain- 
ing upper parts brownish black, edged with sooty gray of neck (said to have 
a purplish cast at times, but doubtful; we catch eagerly at faint characters in 
the members of this so nearly homogeneous group) ; wing-coverts lighter fuscous, 
and with considerable white edging; remaining under parts white, more or less 
streaked with sooty gray on lower breast and sides. Young: ‘Above dusky, 
the scapulars, ueeSca ular and wing-coverts bordered with pale buffy or whitish” 
(Ridgw.). Length 8.00-9.50 (203.2-241.3) ; wing 5.00 (127.) ; tail 2.40 (61.) ; 
bill 1.25 (31.8) ; tarsus I.00 (25.4). 
Recognition Marks.—Chewink size, but appearing larger; plain brownish 
gray or sooty gray of breast probably most distinctive. Somewhat similar to 
the Red-backed Sandpiper, in the shade and blend of color, but distinguished 
from the latter by its darker back and its smaller, lighter bill. 
Nearing —Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3-4, olive- 
buff or ashy brown, distinctly marked with large spots of rich ‘umber brown, 
chiefly about larger end. Av. size, 1.44 x 1.00 (36.6 x 26.9). 
General Range.— Northern portions of the northern hemisphere; in North 
America chiefly in the northeast portions, breeding in the high north, migrating 
in winter to the Eastern and Middle States (casually to Florida), the Great. Lakes, 
and the shores of the larger streams in the upper Mississippi Valley. 
Range in Ohio.—Very rare; one record on Lake Erie. 
THE responsibility of including this species in a list of Ohio birds still 
rests with Mr. Winslow of Cleveland. It is, however, included by Thomas 
Mcllwraith in his Birds of Ontario, on the basis of three or four specimens. 
The Purple Sandpiper is a strictly maritime species, being found in 
winter by preference only on “a stern and rock-bound coast.” It is very 
sure-footed, and gleans fearlessly over the most slippery rocks amidst the 
dashing of the spray. 
