218 



PRiECOCIAL GRALLAVORKS — LIMICOL^. 



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gradually lighter to the exterior feather. Lesser and middle wiiin-coverts bordered terniiimlly with 

 grayish white or jmle anh ; greater covert;s ti])])ed with ])ure white, forming a distinct har across 

 the wing ; secondaries narrowly tipjiud with while and liiintly edged with light ashy, the threi' or 

 four feathers adjoining the teitials mostly white ; pri)uaries with white shafts, the inner ([uills 

 edged, especially toward the liase, with white. Pilciuu dusky, streaked with pale grayish linll' 

 (these streaks sometimes nearly olisok'te) ; a conspicuous su|)erciliary slrijie of grayisii white, 

 streaked with dusky ; a broad grayish-<lusky streaked stripe across the lores, from the bill to 

 and beneath the eye, and contimu'd rather indistinctly over the auriculars ; cheeks, lower part of 

 throat, and foreneck grayish white, streaked with grayish dusky; chin, and sometimes upper )iart 

 of throat, unstreaked white; juguluni similarly but more broadly streaked ; breast grayisii white 

 or pale ashy, irregularly spotted with dusky, these spots occupying cliielly the central portion of 

 each feather ; remaining lower parts white, the sides irregularly streaked and sj)otted with gray- 

 ish ; crissum narrowly stieakeil with dusky ; axillars and lining of the wing pure white, the latter 

 bordered externally with grayish. " Bill brown, yellow at base ; tarsi and toes dusky yellow; iris 

 brown." (Kumijex, MS.) [liilland legs dusky in dried skins. i] Winter dress: Above, uniform 

 smoky plumbeous, the scapulars, interscapulars, rump-feathers, and ui)per tail-coverts, darker cen- 

 trally, where glossed with jnirple ; wings and tail as in the sunnner plumage. Head and neck 

 rmiforni smoky plumbeous, darker immediately before the eye, and, to a less extent, on the crown ; 

 the chin and upj)er jiart of throat, lower eyelid, and sujmdoral space, white; ; jugulum and breast 

 light smoky pluml)eous, scpuunated with white ; remaining lower i>arts white, the sides broadly 

 streaked with light brownish gray ; crissum with narrow mesial streaks of dusky. Youmj, first 

 pbtnutije : Above, (piite similar to the breeding adult, but the dorsal feathers Licking the lateral 

 ochraceous indentations, and the light borders to the feathers lather more regular, and more 

 creamy in tint, the light bordei-s to the wing-coverts also broader, and pale grayish butf instead of 

 white or ))ale ashy ; najie and cheeks uniform smoky pUunbeous ; lower parts much as in the 

 summer adult. Iknnuj ijoiukj : Above, hair-brown, lighter and more grayish on the nape ; the 

 brown irregularly marbled with black ; the wings, back, and rum)) thickly bespangled with whitish 

 downy ilecks on the ti])s of the down-tufts. Head pale fulvous, variously marked with black, the 

 crown deep hair-brown, variegated with black, lieiieath, entirely grayish-white. 



Total length, about !) inches ; wing, 4.80-5.40 (o.OC) ; culnien, l.l()-1.4r) (l.-2()) ; tarsus, .90- 

 1.00 (.9!)) ; middle toe, .83-.95 (.90). [Extreme and average dimensions of 13 adults.] 



The Purple Sandpiper Ixdongs to both continents, and is a bird of somewhat 

 irregular distribution. It i.--' found in high Arctie regions, botli in America and on 

 the eastern continent, and yet has been met with in the summer, and apparently 

 breeding, on the Azores. Its occivrenee, however, except in high northern regions, 

 is com]iarativeIy rare. In Xortli America it appears to be very rare near New 

 York, and entirely unknown on the Atlantic coast south of there. I am informed 

 by Mr. Batty, that although quite uncommon on Long Island, occasional stragglers 

 are found tlu're late in Avinter or early in spring. A single specimen Avas procured 

 on Cape Cod, Mass., in full plumage, by Mr. William A. Jeffries, as early as Sept. 

 6, 1877. Though rare in the interior, its presence on our Great Lakes is not Avholly 

 unknoAvn. A line adult male Avas obtained near Chicago, on the lake shore, Noa% 

 7, 1871. It Avas in company Avith Sanderlings. Tliis bird Avas not taken by the 

 British Arctic Expedition of 187<'>-1870 ; but, according to Dr. Bessels, s])ecimens 

 Avere procured at I'olaris Bay by Captain Hall's party. 



It is not given by Dr. Cooper as found on the Pacific coast. Farther north than 

 California, hoAA'ever, it has been met Avith. It AA'as taken on the Island of St. Michael's 

 by Mr. Bannister, Avho states that, in October, 1865, he obtained a number of speci- 

 mens of this species at the Kedoubt, Avhere it then appeared to be quite common. In 





• Audubon says ; " Hill Jeep orange, toward the end dusky ; edges of eyelids gray ; iris orange ; feet 

 light orange, claws dusky." 



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