592 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Juvenile. — Crown sepia, feathers faintly tipped cream ; nape 

 as adult ; mantle and scapulars dark sepia, feathers edged creamy- 

 white ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts as adult but central tail- 

 coverts tipped cream ; under -parts, tail and wing as adult but inner- 

 most secondaries and coverts, median and some lesser coverts with 

 broad cream-white edges ; sometimes one or two innermost median 

 coverts tipped pink-cinnamon. 



First winter. — As adult winter but distinguished by broad white 

 edges to juvenile and median coverts and by worn cream edges to 

 retained juvenile innermost secondaries and coverts and one or 

 two scapulars. The juvenile body-plumage (not all scapulars nor 

 all feathers of back and rump nor all tail-coverts) are moulted Sept. 

 to Dec. but apparently not wings or tail. First summer. — Moult as 

 adult, after which like adult but distinguished by worn creamy- 

 white edges to faded brown median coverts and inner secondaries. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 122-130 mm., tail 52- 

 63.5, tarsus 20-23, bill from feathers 24-31 (12 measured). $ wing 

 129.5-138, bill 32-36.5. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 

 3.5-5.5 mm. shorter, 4th 8-12 shorter, 5th 15-20 shorter, 6th 21- 

 27.5 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 5th and 9th 

 primaries. Tail with middle feathers considerably longer, three 

 lateral nearly equal. Bill slender, short and tapering to a point. 

 Other structure as in C. a. alpina. 



Soft parts. — Bill brown -black, base yellow ; legs and feet 

 greenish -yellow ; iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — C. m. couesi (W. and N. America, 

 Alaska and Kurile Islands) has upper -parts in summer brighter; 

 C. m. ptilocnemis (Pribilof Islands and Alaska) is similar to C. m. 

 couesi but larger ; C. m. quarta (Commander Islands) has also been 

 separated. Black rump and upper tail-coverts, 7th to 9th second- 

 aries more or less white and greenish-yellow legs distinguish Purple 

 Sandpiper. 



Field -characters. — Mainly a winter -visitor and mostly confined 

 to rocky coasts. Very easy to approach as it feeds on tangle- 

 covered reefs as tide ebbs, so close to surf that at times it is washed 

 from its foothold, when it swims buoyantly. Rather smaller and 

 much more sombrely coloured than Turnstone, with which it often 

 consorts, it is recognized at once by short ochreous-yellow legs, 

 squat, plump form and its purple-black upper -parts, relieved only 

 by a white patch on the secondaries, conspicuous in flight. Silent 

 as a rule, but sometimes utters a low " weet-wit " on rising. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on tundra, at considerable heights in 

 Faeroes and Iceland, but in Spitsbergen frequently on sides of low 

 hills and even among moss-grown shingle near shore. Nest, — Neat 

 round cup in ground, generally lined with dead leaves of Salix. 

 Eggs. — 4 normally, occasionally 3 only, pyriform, varying from pale 

 greenish to yellowish and brown -buff in ground, streaked and 

 spotted with sienna to sepia-brown and occasionally black streaks or 



