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; four 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 grey- 
ish-white, fore neck grey ; breast, sides, and abdomen white. 
Length to end of tail 91, to end of wings 9 T 4 2> to end of claws 10; extent 
of wings 111; wing from flexure 5, tail 2i; bill along the back 1 T %, along 
the edge of lower mandible lfv, tarsus ; middle toe its claw T \. 
Weight 3-4 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. 
