THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 263 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body full. Feet 

 of moderate length, slender; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus rather short, 

 compressed, anteriorly covered with scutella, laterally reticulated; toes of 

 moderate length, excepting the first, which is very small, third longest and 

 including the claw longer than the tarsus, fourth slightly longer than second; 

 fore toes scutellate above, without webs at the base, the middle one with an 

 inner thickish margin, the lateral each with an outer one; claws considerably 

 curved, compressed, obtuse, that of hind toe very small, of middle toe largest, 

 with a dilated thin inner edge. 



Plumage soft, blended, on the back rather compact, the feathers rounded. 

 Wings rather long, pointed; primaries tapering, rounded, the first longest, 

 the second slightly shorter; outer secondaries short, obliquely truncate, inner 

 elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded, the central feathers elongated. 



Bill deep orange, towards the end dusky. Edges of eyelids grey, iris 

 orange. Feet light orange, claws dusky. Head greyish-brown, tinged with 

 purple, its sides and those of the neck deep purple; back and wings brown- 

 ish-black, with purple reflections, the margins of the feathers white; quills 

 brownish-black, their shafts, the tips of all the secondaries, and the greater 

 part of the middle ones, white; middle tail-feathers brownish-black, tinged 

 with purple, the lateral shaded into ash-grey. Upper part of throat greyish- 

 white, fore neck grey; breast, sides, and abdomen white. 



Length to end of tail 9^, to end of wings 9 T 4 2, to end of claws 10; extent 

 of wings 14|; wing from flexure 5, tail 2j; bill along the back 1/g-, along 

 the edge of lower mandible 1 T %; tarsus y|; middle toe f|, its claw T 3 j. 

 Weight H oz. 



Adult in winter. 



The principal differences in the winter plumage are, that the lower parts 

 are pale grey, while the upper have the purple tints much fainter, the white 

 edgings substituted by dull grey. 



