132 BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTS. 
he was christened Zirenga Alpina, the Dunlin. Then in the 
eutumn and winter, having divested himself alike of his summer 
dress and all property or concern in wife and children, he was 
-named anew Z'ringa Cinclus, the Purre. On its being satisfactorily 
ascertained that the only real difference between Dunlin and 
Purre was that of a few feathers, and those chiefly on the 
breast, and dependent simply on Season, the new name at the 
head of this notice was suggested and willingly adopted as 
altogether a fit one. The Dunlun, always called Oxbird where 
my boyhood was spent, and often seen there in flocks of not 
simply hundreds, but thousands, and many thousands, in the 
autumn and winter, goes to the far north to breed, though some 
of their hosts stay in the north of Scotland, the Hebrides, 
Orkneys and other Islands near. Their nests are placed on the 
ground, among long grass and ling, and always contain four 
eges. Mr. Hewitson says :—“ In beauty of colouring and ele- 
eance of form the eggs of the Dunlin are unrivalled. The ground- 
colour is sometimes of a clear light green, richly spotted with, 
light brown ; sometimes the ground-colour is of a bluish-white.” 
The hen will suffer herself to be removed from her nest by the 
hand rather than leave her eggs.—Jg. 3, plate IX. 
217. PURPLE SAND-PIPER—(Zringa maritima). 
Selninger Sand-piper, Black Sand-piper.—Not a very numerous 
species, but by no means infrequent on the British coasts. Very 
few, however, are seen except in winter and early spring, the far 
greater part resorting to some place far in the north to nest. Still 
it seems almost certain that a few breed wish us in North England 
and Scotland. It lays four eggs of ‘“‘a yellowish-grey colour, 
varied with small irregular spots of pale brown, thick at the 
obtuse end, rarer at the other.” 
