BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



333 



purple Sanbpiper, 



THE Purple Sandpiper (Tringa maritima, Gmelin) is a 

 fairly common autumn migrant to the British Isles, and 

 inhabits the Northern Nearctic and Palearctic Regions. 

 The adult in summer has the upper parts of plumage 

 blackish, margined with rufous ; some of the feathers have 

 creamy-white tips ; wings, brownish, with a white band ; 

 rump, tail-coverts, and two central rectrices, deep brown ; 

 rest of rectrices, grey ; superciliary stripe, whitish ; under 

 parts, white, with greyish-brown centres to feathers on 

 breast and flanks ; irides, warm brown ; bill, deep brown ; 

 base beneath, paler; legs and feet, dull yellow. Length, 

 about eight inches. The adult in winter has the upper 

 parts generally of a purplish-black, margined with grey; 

 head and neck, light greyish-black ; breast and flanks, grey, 

 margined with white ; centre of abdomen, white. 



