THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 
305 
his having seen one here in winter, and that at the end of May 
he saw a flock of about six, on the rocks at Lambay Island, 
from which he killed three, all in adult plumage.* A purple 
sandpiper was observed in October 1846, at a part of this bay, 
near Raheny.f 
Mr. Poole states, with respect to the county of Wexford: — 
I shot one specimen of this bird on the 29th of January, 1845, 
at Ballyteigue Lough : there seemed to be plenty of them on 
the beach. May 15, 1845. — At the Saltees I observed about 
a dozen, which frequented the rocks near high-water mark, and 
allowed a sufficiently near approach for three specimens to be 
procured. They were excessively fat, and the ovaries of the 
hens filled with backward eggs. Their food was univalve shell- 
fish.'’’’ This bird has once been obtained at Youghal.J Ac- 
cording to Mr. E. Chute : — a purple sandpiper was shot by 
the Hon. Mr. Mullins in the last week of November 1846, on 
some rocks at the entrance of Dingle Harbour, where there was a 
small flock. The people there stated that some are to be seen on 
the same rocks every winter. In the following year, two more of 
them were shot there by that gentleman."’'’ A few of what he 
has now no doubt were these birds, had been seen by my cor- 
respondent in the middle of May 1844, on the Magharee islands, 
Tralee Bay. 
This sandpiper, little known in Scotland and England, ex- 
cept as an autumnal and winter visitant to the shores, appears, 
judging from the descriptions of Sir Win. Jardine|| and Mr. 
Selby, to be more frequent in both those countries than in Ireland. 
The latter author gives us the following interesting account of the 
species : — " On the Northumbrian coast it is a common bird, and 
is met with in numerous flocks wherever the beach is bold and 
rocky. The Pern Islands, which are composed of trap (or 
basaltic) rocks, are a favourite resort, and it sometimes happens 
that a few stragglers are left at the period of the vernal migration, 
remaining through the summer, and breeding on the smaller 
* Rev. G-. Robinson. f Mr. R. J. Montgomery, 
t Mr. R. Ball. I1 ‘ Brit. Birds/ vol. iii. p. 237. 
VOL. II. 
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