PURPLE OR ROCK SANDPIPER. 2i9 



tail itself is much cuneated, the centre feathers 

 blackish-grey, the others greyish wood-brown, be- 

 coming- paler on the outer pairs. The lower parts to 

 the breast are greyish hair-brown, paler on the chin, 

 and on the breast having the feathers broadly edged 

 with white; the remaining under parts are pure 

 white, on the centre of the belly and vent unspotted; 

 but on the flanks and under tail-coverts having 

 each feather broadly marked in the centre with hair- 

 brown ; bill brownish-black, pink or nearly reddish- 

 orange at the base and gape ; the legs and feet axe 

 ochreous yellow. The entire length of the specimen 

 alluded to, is from eight to nine inches; one before 

 us being eight and a-half, the other nine inches. 

 In a specimen in summer plumage, purchased some 

 time since from Mr. Carfrae in Edinburgh,, and said 

 by him to have been procured from Hudson's Bay, 

 the head and back are deep purplish -black, the 

 feathers on the head broadly edged with reddish- 

 orange, on the back and scapulars deeply cut into 

 with a paler shade of the same colour and tipped 

 with white ; the wings, including the tertials, the 

 rump and tail, are as in the winter state ; the back 

 of the neck is pale wood-brown, tinted with rufous, 

 each feather greyish-black in the centre ; beneath, 

 the colour is generally a greyish- white, each feather 

 in the neck and breast marked angularly with 

 brownish-black, in the centre of the belly crossed 

 near the tips with a broad black bar, and though 

 interrupted, showing there the rudiment of the 

 dark band prevailing among many of the plovers, 



