310 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



islands, though it does so on the Continent, 

 making its nest in old trees. In length it measures 

 some nine and a half inches. It is a slender, 

 graceful bird. Its plumage apparently undergoes 

 no change. The upper parts are of a greenish- 

 brown, with very small white spots ; the head and 

 shoulders of a dark ash-gray ; round the eyes a 

 light whitish -gray ; the chin white ; the breast 

 white, thickly streaked with dark gray ; the under 

 parts white ; the legs dark green ; the rump white ; 

 outer tail-feathers white, the lower portion of the 

 tail with broad black bars ; the bill is long, and 

 slightly curved downwards at the tip. 



The small white spots on the dark green back, 

 and the broad black bars across the tail, are dis- 

 tinctive marks by which this bird may be identified. 

 This and the common sandpiper are perhaps more 

 frequently to be met with inland than the other 

 varieties of sandpiper. 



The purple sandpiper is frequent throughout 

 the rocky coasts of Great Britain and Ireland 

 throughout the winter. It is a smaller variety 

 than the green sandpiper, measuring but eight 

 inches in length. The winter plumage is of a 

 black-brown above, and dark mottled brown in 

 the under parts, the upper parts changing in summer 

 to a dark brown-gray, nearly to black, spotted with 

 reddish colour, and the feathers tipped with a 

 yellowish-white ; throat, neck, and breast gray, 

 with pale brown streaks ; legs and feet yellow. 

 The hind-toe of this bird turns inwards. 1 1 selects 



