THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 303 



This species is an extremely rare visitant to England, six indi- 

 vidnals only being recorded in the second edition of Mr. Yarrell's 

 work (1845) ; — two others are noticed in the 'Zoologist/ one as 

 killed on the Sussex coast * (no date given), and another, on the 

 3rd of September, 1846, near Penzance, t Two of the eight 

 specimens were obtained in the south of England, and one other of 

 them in the west, near Liverpool ; the remainder having occurred 

 in the eastern counties, including Cambridge. This bird has 

 not been met with in Scotland. It has been procured in Erance. 



The buff-breasted sandpiper inhabits the eastern shores both of 

 South and North America, but is far from being commonly known, 

 even on those of the latter, which have been so well explored. 



THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 



Rock Sandpiper. 

 Tringa maritima, Brunnich. 



Regularly inhabits certain parts of the coast in autumn 

 and winter. 



It is but little known as an Irish bird, and differs from the 

 other Tringce by frequenting rocky coasts. Mr. Templeton knew 

 it only from specimens hereafter to be mentioned in the collection 

 of the late Mr. John Montgomery of Locust Lodge, Belfast. I 

 shall notice the localities in which this species has been observed 

 from north to south, irrespective of dates. In Mr. J. Y. Stewart's 

 catalogue of the birds of the north-west of Donegal, J the 

 purple sandpiper is mentioned as " resident and common/'' 

 In a letter subsequently written, however, that gentleman 

 informed me that he had not been able to satisfy himself 

 respecting its breeding there. The Ordnance Museum con- 

 tains examples from Portrush, killed in the months of August, 

 September, November, and December, and from Cushendall 



* Mr. F. Bond, vol. i. p. 148 : — March 28, 1843, date of communication, 

 f Mr. E. H. Rodd, vol. iv. p. ] 500. % Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. v., 1832. 



