376 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



GEOUP 2. Legs not so long as in totanus, nor so 

 naked above the knee; all the toes divided down to the 

 roots. 



Hide themselves much among grass, and fly up generally 

 silently. 



Gen. Trmga, Nob. 



Beak thin, compressed at the root, weak throughout 

 its length; nasal furrow long; legs small; tarsus never 

 longer, generally shorter, than beak ; wings and tail as in 

 totanus. 



Subgen. Pelidna. 



The middle tail feathers longest, and pointed; beak 

 more or less curved, longer than tarsus. 



199. TEINGA MAEITIMA, Brun. Svart Gra Strandvipa. The 



Purple Sandpiper. D. F. 



Length about 8 in. ; beak If in. ; tarsus -J- in. ; tail 



2-f- in. The male rather smaller ; beak very slightly 



bent down ; tarsus rather shorter than the middle toe ; 



upper tail coverts black at all seasons ; tail rounded. 



Summer dress : black above, with a violet tint, and pale 



rusty brown feather edges ; under parts white, with blackish 



spots. They lose this dress in September, when the upper 



parts become black, with ash grey feather edges; head, 



breast, and sides black, with white edges ; wing coverts and 



feathers edged with white. 



Breeds only in the far north, and is never seen in the 

 south of Scandinavia, except in the autumn, and occasionally 

 in winter. It is said by Sommerfeldt to be very common 

 during the summer on the north coasts of West Finland, 

 where, probably, they breed. I never, however, received 

 the egg from Lapland, although I have from Iceland and 

 Greenland. I believe it breeds more on the coast than on 

 inland moors. 



200. T. SUBAEQUATA, Nilss. Bagniibbad Sfcrandvipa, The 



Curlew Sandpiper. D. F. 



