This species is well known to the Ornithologists of North
America, where it has an extensive range;
East of the British Islands, M. Temrainck says, the Purple
Sandpiper is very common on the coast of Holland. M.
Vieillot says it is found in Normandy and Picardy, and it
is seen in spring and autumn in Provence, Switzerland, and
Italy.
The prevailing bluish lead colour of thismspecies at oneb
distinguishes it from every other British Sandpiper. The
beak is dark reddish brown; the irides hazel; the -'adult
male bird, in its summer'plumage, has the; head and Beck all
round dusky grey, streaked with darker greyback, scapulars,
and tertials, bluish black, some of the feathers margined;
with white, others with reddish buff; wingrcoverts ddve grey,
with lighter coloured margins; primaries dusky black, the
shafts white, the outer narrow web of each feather darklp
than the broader inner web; secondaries tipped with white ;
upper tail-coverts almost black ; middle tail-feathers brownish
black, long and pointed, the others ash brown with lighter
coloured edges; chin white; breast nearly white, ^spotted
with grey ; vent, and under tail-coverts whiter with an bec&®
sional streak of grey. ;- legs and toes dark reddish brown, the
hind toe directed inwards; the claws black.
The whole length eight inches and a half. From the carpal
joint o f the wing to the end of the first quill-feather,
which is the longest, five inches. The females .are rather
larger than males;- 1
A bird killed in November, has the head, nesck, back, and
upper tail-coverts, uniform lead grey; the wing-coverts and
tertials only with greyish white edges; the under surface
changing from bluish grey to white. In another specimen
killed later in the year, the breast, and all the under parts are
nearly white, with a few spots of grey.
In referenc^|p th e fSubjeetf hel.QWi forming the final vig-
nett&lli this volume, I mafliexplaiff that in the month of
NUVerfi^er^ Frauds. -Chantrey,v^hen shgotjUg at
Holkham, kitted'two Woudcocksii.al||§>nl| s%.ti To record
this e$iat$rSir . I^an:ciss6hai^y ^ c ukpt«e^4 twos Woodcocks
MKa- marble tabl@|;.twhich he iMe^fnted to Mr.; n6w
Earl of ^Leicester. :^.Sir Fran c i i n j l l V given to,hie
the drawing on wood; which i,i4.11 v'ed%. Tlfc occurrence,
from its singularity, has b§en’ the^sM^ect ^oP-many
epigrams and complimentary vefs|p^ TkeJ|ollovving couplet
was Hudson gurney, Esq.- ,
-'’'’^Driven from, north efij climes that hla^e starv’81 thelb,.
’ tmffHeyffiflt’smjif and thcp'lie caiShfl M^m.’’