THE PURRB. 347 



ashy black ; toes divided to their origin, and bordered with a slightly 

 scalloped membrane ; irides very dark. 



The males and females are nearly alike in one respect, both differing 

 greatly in color even at the same season, probably owing to difference 

 of age ; some being of a much brighter red than others, and the plumage 

 dotted with white. In the month of September, many are found desti- 

 tute of the black crescent on the belly ; these have been conjectured to 

 be young birds. 



Note. — After an attentive examination of many of these birds on the 

 coast of Cape May, in the month of April, I am perfectly convinced, 

 that the hitherto supposed two species, the present and the Purre, con- 

 stitute but one species, the latter being in immature plumage. In some 

 instances, I found the Purres were beginning to get the broad band of 

 black on the belly, and the black thickening with ruddy feathers, ap- 

 pearing almost perfect Black-bellied Sandpipers. — Wilson's MSS. 



THING A OINOLUS* 



THE PUREE. 



[Plate LTII. Fig, 3.] 



Linn. Syst. 261.— Arct. Zool. p. 475, No. 390.— Bewick, ir., p. \\?>.—L'Alouette de 



mer, Buff, vii., 548. 



This is one of the most numerous of our Strand-birds, as they are 

 usually called, that frequent the sandy beach, on the frontiers of the 

 ocean. In its habit it differs so little from the preceding, that, except 

 in being still more active and expert in running, and searching among 

 the sand, on the reflux of the waves, as it nimbly darts about for food, 

 what has been said of the former will apply equally to both, they being 

 pretty constant associates on these occasions. 



The Purre continues longer with us both in spring and autumn than 

 either of the two preceding; many of them remain during the very 

 severest of the winter, though the greater part retire to the more genial 

 regions of the south ; where I have seen them at such seasons, particu- 

 larly on the seacoasts of both Carolinas, during the month of February, 

 in great numbers. 



These birds, in conjunction with several others, sometimes collect 

 together in such flocks, as to seem, at a distance, a large cloud of thick 



* The preceding species in immature plumage. 



