THE PUBPLE SANDPIPEE. 135 



sides and flanks, whilst some of the feathers of the mantle and 

 head will be found edged with rufous ; this moult is completed 

 before the birds leave us towards the end of May, and by that 

 time the feathers on top of the head, in common with those 

 on the back, have a distinct rufous border, whilst the black 

 feathers of the gorget and flanks are boldly edged with greyish 

 white. 



American ornithologists separate the Purple Sandpipers 

 found in Alaska and neighbouring islands into two forms dis- 

 tinct from ours, which occurs, it may be noted, on the eastern 

 sea-board of Canada and the United States, as well as on 

 the inland lakes from East to West. Specimens of Coues' 

 Sandpiper collected in Sanak Is., Alaska, are very much 

 more heavily edged rufous than ours, and of deeper tone, 

 indeed in some, the crescentic white edgings of feathers of the 

 gorget even are rufous, and the throat and cheek are almost 

 entirely white ; whilst in the Prybilof Sandpiper the tone of 

 red is still deeper, and the gorget and flanks become almost 

 wholly black, invading the white throat patch, simulating in 

 fact a well-marked Dunlin or Ked-backed Sandpiper in summer 

 dress as regards its back and breast. The sexes are alike in 

 plumage, but the female is the larger ; a female obtained on 

 May 22 weighed as much as four ounces, the average being a 

 trifle over two ounces. By far the largest examples obtained 

 are from the Orkneys, where, as far as can be ascertained, they 

 are not seen after the beginning of May until the autumn 

 again. 



ROUGH NOTES FROM NORTH WALES. 

 By John A. Bucknill, B.A. 



(Concluded from page 92.) 

 A shokt trip to Dolwyddelen, and a long tramp over the moor, at Whit- 

 suntide this year, gave me an opportunity of hearing and seeiug a good 

 many summer migrants which I had never previously come across during 

 my autumn visits ; noticeably the Cuckoo (C. canorus), which was every- 

 where, even on the high flats — though, of course, much more plentiful 

 towards the wooded river valley. The Willow-warbler (P. trochilus) and 

 the Sedge-warbler (A. phragmitis) were both very common ; and I heard the 

 Reed- warbler (A. streperus) in one spot on the river near Roman Bridge. 



