238 PURPLE OR ROCK SANDPIPER. 
pening to do so from other circumstances. This 
species seems to he altogether a northern bird, ex- 
tending over northern Europe and the continent of 
America to the Arctic Circle, being found incubat- 
ing by many of the late Arctic travellers, while it 
does not range to Africa or India. In its habits, on 
our coasts in winter, it is tame, running upon the 
rocks, or skulking, and allowing a person often to 
approach within a few yards, their colour assimilat- 
ing well with the surrounding objects, and prevent- 
ing their being observed so long as they remain 
motionless ; when disturbed they will also make a 
circuit, and return to the rock whence they rose. 
In form this bird is more compact than many 
other of the Sandpipers, which, in appearance, is 
increased by the shortness of the tarsi and legs. In 
the winter and spring dress in which it is generally 
procured upon our coasts, the upper parts are of a 
greyish-black, the feathers margined with grey, and 
becoming more conspicuously so on the shoulders 
and wings, where the pale edgings are broader, and 
in colour almost gTeyish-white, the whole glossed 
over with purple, which, in some positions, appears 
very conspicuous, and has gained for the bird its 
English trivial name ; the wings are nearly of the 
same colour with the upper parts, inclining to black- 
ish-brown ; the tertials and coverts are edged with 
white, the shafts of the quills appearing also of that 
colour ; the rump and upper tail-coverts are of a 
very deep shade of greyish-black, and are more 
strongly glossed with the purple reflections ; the 
