44 



SHORE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



SUBGENUS ARQUATELLA BAIRD. 

 TRINQA MARITIMA Brunn.. 

 Purple Sandpiper. 



Trillin inaritinia. 



Summer plumage : Top of head, dark 

 gray ; back, blackish, the feathers edged 

 with grayish white : rump and upper 

 tail coverts, black or brownish black; a 

 small black spot in front of the i-y<- : 

 breast, grayish, having the appearance 

 of being spotted with black, which black 

 spotting also appears on the sides <>l tin- 

 body. This is caused by the feathers 

 of the breast being dark at the base 

 tipped with white, and on the sides of 

 the body the feathers are white with 

 black spots near the tips; axillars, 

 white. 



Winter plumaije : Similar, but lack- 

 ing the black spots on the breast and 

 sides, which is replaced by pale gray ; 

 bill, yellowish at base. 



Length, 9.25; wing, 5; tarsus. .<_>: 

 bill, 1.30. 



The Purple Sandpiper is a northern species, breeding in high latitudes, 

 but occurring in winter on the Atlantic coast to the Middle States, and occa- 

 sionally to Florida. Some birds remain on the New England coast all winter, 

 frequenting rocky ledges. It breeds from Northern Hudson's Bay to Green- 

 land. The eggs, usually four, are buft', sometimes tinged with olive and 

 mottled with brown, and measure 1.40x1.05. It does not occur on the 

 Pacific coast. 



