70 



white and ochreous ; sides of the head dull white, striated with blackish brown ; back and scapulars 

 black with a purplish gloss, most of the feathers broadly margined with white and rufescent ochreous ; 

 rump and central rectrices black with a purplish tinge, remaining tail-feathers blackish grey; quills 

 blackish with white shafts, the outer secondaries tipped with white, and some of the inner ones nearly 

 altogether white; wing-coverts blackish with a purple tinge and edged with white; throat white, 

 striated with blackish grey; breast light grey, marked with white and blackish grey; rest of the under- 

 parts white, the flanks marked with blackish grey ; under tail-coverts centrally striped with blackish 

 grey; bill ochreous-yellow at the base, otherwise dark brown; legs ochreous-yellow ; iris dark brown. 

 Total length about 8 inches, culmen 1'15, wing 4 - 7, tail 2 - 4, tarsus 0'9. 



Adult in winter (St. John, N.B., 31st December). Crown, nape, sides of the head, and neck sooty blackish 

 with a faint purplish tinge ; back and scapulars black with a purplish tinge, the feathers with narrow 

 greyish margins ; rump, wings, and tail as in the summer plumage ; chin white ; throat and breast 

 sooty blackish grey, the feathers on the latter with white edgings; rest of the underparts white, the 

 flanks spotted with blackish grey. 



Young in down (Magero, Norway, 28th June). Forehead rufescent buff, with a central black line; crown 

 black, dotted with white and warm ochreous ; hind neck nearly white ; upper parts black, dotted with 

 white and rufous; the sides boldly blotched with rusty rufous; underparts white; the throat tinged 

 with warm buff ; a V-shaped black mark at the base of the bill on each side. 



On the shores of the northern portions of both the Palsearctic and Nearctic Regions the Purple 

 Sandpiper is generally distributed during the summer, migrating southward in winter, at which 

 season it ranges tolerably far south, having even been found in South Africa. 



In Great Britain it is to be met with on almost all parts of the coast which are rocky and 

 suitable to its habits, but only in the winter season ; and there is no authentic instance of its 

 having bred here, though it may possibly have remained to nest in the north of Scotland ; for 

 Dr. Saxby says that a few remain in Shetland throughout the breeding-season. It is met with 

 on the south coast of England during the cold season. Mr. Gatcombe informs me that it is a 

 regular winter visitant to the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, appearing late in October or early 

 in November, and leaving again in April. Mr. Mansel-Pleydell says that it is not very 

 uncommon in Dorsetshire. Many have passed under his observation from the Kimeridge 

 coast, shot during the winter months, and also from Poole Harbour, where they are occa- 

 sionally abundant. He has the record of one shot near Lyme Regis in 1831 ; and several 

 were obtained by Mr. Thompson from near Weymouth in the months of August and November. 

 Mr. Cecil Smith also informs me that it is a not uncommon winter visitant to the Somersetshire 

 coast. 



According to Mr. Saxby it is " not uncommon on the sea-coast in the autumn, either in 

 small parties or in company with Dunlins. It rarely occurs, however, at this season within the 

 Humber, although not uncommon at Spurn at the mouth of the river in the autumn." He 

 " only met once with it in the spring, namely a small flock of seven on the rocks at the entrance 

 point of the Flamborough Headland on the 25th April, 1865." To the coasts of Northumber- 

 land and Durham, Mr. Hancock writes (B. of Northumb. & Durh. p. 115), it is "an autumn 

 or winter visitant, arriving on the coast with the Knot in September. Single specimens are met 



