ii8 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



are in Iceland, in Norway, Spitzbergen, and Nova 

 Zembla, and on various parts of the north Siberian 

 coasts, and in Arctic America to Greenland. 



It arrives at its nesting grounds in May or June. 

 These are rarely situated far from the sea, although 

 in the Faroes it retires to the fells, where it begins 

 to nest even before the snow has all melted. The 

 nest is but a shallow depression, scantily lined with 

 scraps of withered vegetation, and is made either 

 close to the beach on broken ground, covered with 

 a sparse vegetation, or in some marshy spot on a 

 hill in the vicinity of the ocean. The Purple Sand- 

 piper may pair for life, as there is some evidence to 

 show that it returns annually to certain spots, to 

 breed. The four eggs are pale olive- or buffish- 

 brown, beautifully blotched and spotted, mottled 

 and streaked with blackish- and reddish-brown and 

 gray. The sitting bird lingers long upon her nest, 

 sometimes remaining till almost trodden upon before 

 she starts up, and, by feigning lameness, seeks to 

 draw the intruder away. So closely is the Purple 

 Sandpiper attached to the coast, that even during 

 the nesting season, when its duties call it more or 

 less inland, it always visits the shore to feed. In 

 summer plumage, the upper parts are marked with 

 rich chestnut, and in winter dress, the underparts 

 are more spotted. 



There are certain other Limicoline birds found 

 upon our coasts, more or less frequently, which at 

 least deserve some passing notice ; but as they are 



