PURPLE SANDPIPER. 81 



sive preference to rocky and stony ground to so great 

 an extent as it does, which is sufficiently proved by the 

 great numbers that frequent such localities, and more so by 

 a circumstance which has brought so many of this species 

 to the coast of Holland, where it was not known to be 

 found before, namely, the erection of those strong and gi- 

 gantic breakwaters which were constructed in order to save 

 that part of North Holland from the fury of the waves and 

 high floods. We allude to the sluices of Kattwyck, on the 

 masonry of which the Purple Sandpipers are sure to be 

 found during their residence in that country. Great num- 

 bers are also found on the rocky coasts of Scotland as 

 well as England and Wales, and some visit Ireland. 



The purple colouring of the present species is a peculiar 

 and distinguishing mark, by which the naturalist distin- 

 guishes the Purple Sandpiper at a single glance, where 

 it is present ; and its manners are almost equally peculiar 

 and amusing to the observer; for the bird runs with the 

 greatest ease and rapidity over the rocky ground, alter- 

 nately retiring in order to escape the force of the rolling 

 wave, and again following the receding waters very closely, 

 in pursuit of the animalculine matter that happens to be 

 washed up, so as to overtake it before it has time to escape. 

 The long toes and sharp arched claws of the bird enable 

 it to perform its motions on the slippery stones with ease 

 and security. The Purple Sandpiper has been thought to 

 be afraid of wetting itself, and seeking for that reason 

 raised stony objects for alighting, but this notion can hardly 

 be reasonable, as the bird is frequently seen to alight on 

 the water, and to swim with apparent ease, and its plumage 

 also seems to be more adapted for this purpose than that 

 of any other sandpiper, which we shall describe in its proper 

 place hereafter. 



