36 P U R P L E S A N D P I P E R.
G r a y , Esq. Mr. Thomas Edward, of Banff, has obligingly forwarded
to me another shot by h im near that town, in May, 1852, '['his one
was in summer plumage, as was also, I believe, the other previously
alluded l i t ; also in East Lothian, in small flocks, but rarely.
I n I r e l a n d it occurs, but is said to b e v e r y local. Likewise in Orkney.
About the middle of April, or from that period to the beginning of
May, they migrate to t h e north, and after rearing their young return
again about September.
t nlike the other Sandpipers, whose natural history we have hitherto
been considering, this one attaches itself to rocky and stony shores,
such affording the kind or kinds of food more peculiarly sought
by it.
These birds assemble in flocks of about thirty or more, being
sociable among themselves, but their difference of habits naturally
p r e v e n t s any b u t an unfrequent commingling with other species. They
are not at all shy in their ways, and may be approached very nearly.
The Purple Sandpiper has frequently been seen to alight on the
water, and to swim with apparent case. It runs with readiness and
d e x t e r i t y over and between the rocks a n d stones, nimbly avoiding each
encroaching w ave, and following it again as it falls back and leaves
behind it an uncovered place whereon to seek and to find food.
' W h e n in flocks, these birds fly in a compact body, but seldom to
any great distance; and when disturbed, after taking n small circuit
seaward, often return to the same exposed rock by the water's edge,
from which they started.' They sometimes are met with in company
W i t h Turnstones, owing to t h e similarity of the places frequented by
t h e t w o species.
' T h e flight of this bird,' says Meyer, Ms v e r y quick and undulating,
frequently performed close to the water, even when the waves of t he
sea run high; at other times it Hies in a straight line at a great
elevation, p a r t i c u l a r l y when in company of many of its species.'
Minute shell-fish, mollusks, shrimps, sand-hoppers, small crabs, and
other Crustacea, compose their food, and these they seek and find by
t u r n i n g over the marine plants that grow on t h e rocks.
The note is often repeated, and sounds like the word ' w e e t .'
The nest is fitted in some hollow in the ground with a little moss
or other herbage for a lining. It is built on mountains among small
pools of water, in t h e m i d d l e of a clump of grass.
'The eggs are four in number. They are of a pyriform shape, of
a yellowish grey colour, with small irregular spots of pale brown,
crowded at the obtuse end and rare at the other. They appear to be
laid about the end of J u n e , or beginning of July.
PURPLE SANDPIPER. 37
The plumage of this species is close, soft, and rather downy; it is
said to become thicker in winter. Male; length, eight inches and a
quarter, or a little over; bill, b r i g h t orange yellow, slender, slightly
curved, and tapering towards the point; in winter, the orange fades,
and the tip becomes dusky, and the orange dull r e d ; iris, d u s k y ; over
the eyes is a white streak—the eyelids greyish white; forehead, wdiite.
Head on the crown, reddish brown on the margins of the feathers,
their centres black, reflecting different metallic colours according to t he
light in which they are viewed; in winter uniform leaden grey; chin,
white; throat, dull greyish white, a n d s p o t t ed w i t h dusky s t r e a k s ; breast
above, dark greyish ash-colour, inclining to pale brown, with dusky
spots spreading out from the shafts, the side edges and tips white in
many of the feathers; below, t h e breast is more white, t h e spots being
smaller and lengthened out towards the tail; in winter white, with an
occasional streak of grey. The back has the feathers black in the
centre, and reddish brown round their edges, exhibiting also varied
metallic lustres in different lights; in winter blackish leaden grey, with
a purple reflection.
Greater wing coverts, dusky greyish black deeply tipped with white,
in winter with greyish white, forming a bar across the wing; lesser
wing coverts, dusky black, less tipped with wdiite, or not at a l l;
primaries, dusky black, the shafts white, the outer narrow web of each
feather darker than the broad inner one; secondaries, tipped with white,
some of them almost wholly wdiite, forming a bar across the w i n g when
opened; tertiaries, bluish black edged with reddish brown, and with a
variety of metallic tints according to the light, their tips while; in
winter a leaden grey h u e p r e v a i l s , a n d t h e edges also arc g r e y i s h white
as well as t he tips. The tail, wedge-shaped, lias the four middle leathers
long and pointed, brownish or greyish black with rufous yellow edges,
t h e others grey brown with dusky cinereous edges, in all twelve in
number; upper tail coverts, almost black, in winter leaden grey, glossed,
like the back, with p u r p l e ; under tail coverts, white, spotted and streaked
with deep ash-colour and light brown. The legs, feathered nearly to
the knee, and the toes, bright orange yellow, in winter yellow—the
hind toe is directed inwards; claws, much arched, short, and blunt,
black in colour.
I n the young, the bill at the base is dull yellow; the head dull
greyish black, the feathers margined with dull yellowish brown; neck
on the sides, ash grey with darker streaks; breast, also ash grey with
darker streaks, and on the sides with large longitudinal streaks of a
darker shade. Under tail coverts, streaked longitudinally with deep
ash grey.