326 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



with rapid strokes from the sea, I took off my cap and sent it 

 spinning with great force among the Sandpipers. Two of the 

 birds lay stunned, and on picking them up I found the plumage 

 to be dingy, and the legs inclining only to an ochre colour, from 

 which I inferred they were both young ones of the year. The 

 probability is that most of the specimens in the flock were 

 birds of similar plumage. As my two captives were not much 

 hurt, I let them off with an admonition to be more careful on the 

 next skerry they visited, so, with a feeble note of thanks they 

 darted seawards, and at once disappeared in the haze." I may 

 here remark that I had previously taken notice of little parties of 

 Purple Sandpipers at another part of the coast where there is a 

 considerable extent of shelving rocks, on which, in moderately 

 rough weather, the surf is constantly breaking. Here their habits 

 were very different many of the little fellows showing an actual 

 contempt for the spray as it sometimes dashed over them in a 

 heavy shower. I have even seen them face the broken masses 

 of water as the threatening waves came rolling in upon their feed- 

 ing ground, and nimbly resume their search as soon as the danger 

 was past. No one, indeed, in looking at the bird, can have failed 

 to remark the comparative shortness of its tarsi, general stoutness 

 of form, and greater apparent strength to withstand its rough 

 experiences among the rocks, which distinguish it from other 

 sandpipers. 



Throughout the West of Scotland the Purple Sandpiper is found 

 from September till the end of April and beginning of May, but 

 in some of the inner islands, as well as those of the outer group, 

 many specimens are observed even a month later in the season. 

 Dr Dewar observed several flocks on the Ascrib islands in Loch 

 Snizort, in the north-west of Skye, on 6th May, 1870. Single 

 birds, indeed, were found lingering on the mainland about the 

 same time, two specimens having been sent to me from the shores 

 of Loch Ridden in the Kyles of Bute. Captain Feilden shot two 

 specimens near Barra Plead, on the island of Berneray, on 27th 

 May of the same year, and two others on Mingalay. On dis- 

 section, they all proved to be females, and one of them showed 

 some abrasion of the belly and breast feathers, from which it 

 was inferred that it had been sitting on eggs. The ovaries of all 

 the birds were found to be much distended, but no mature eggs 

 were found in them. Two of these specimens are now before 



