238 PURPLE OR ROCK SANDPIPER. 



pening to do so from other circumstances. This 

 species seems to be altogether a northern bird, ex- 

 tending over northern Europe and the continent of 

 America to the Arctic Circle, being found incubat- 

 ing by many of the late Arctic travellers, while it 

 does not range to Africa or India. In its habits, on 

 our coasts in winter, it is tame, running upon the 

 rocks, or skulking, and allowing a person often to 

 approach within a few yards, their colour assimilat- 

 ing well with the surrounding objects, and prevent- 

 ing their being observed so long as they remain 

 motionless ; when disturbed they will also make a 

 circuit, and return to the rock whence they rose. 



In form this bird is more compact than many 

 other of the Sandpipers, which, in appearance, is 

 increased by the shortness of the tarsi and legs. In 

 the winter and spring dress in which it is generally 

 procured upon our coasts, the upper parts are of a 

 greyish- black, the feathers margined with grey, and 

 becoming more conspicuously so on the shoulders 

 and wings, where the pale edgings are broader, and 

 in colour almost greyish-white, the whole glossed 

 over with purple, which, in some positions, appears 

 very conspicuous, and has gained for the bird its 

 English trivial name ; the wings are nearly of the 

 same colour with the upper parts, inclining to black- 

 ish-brown ; the tertials and coverts are edged with 

 white, the shafts of the quills appearing also of that 

 colour; the rump and upper tail-coverts are of a 

 very deep shade of greyish -black, and are more 

 strongly glossed with the purple reflections; the 



