in small parties later in tlie year, always amongst rocks
overgrown with seaweed, amongst which the birds find
their food. I have repeatedly seen Purple Sandpipers
lifted from the rocks by the waves and paddling on
the water till it receded and left the weeds “ as they
were.” I have also frequently noticed birds of this
species swimming in the little pools amongst the rocks;
they are exceedingly fearless, and always permitted
close observation from our boats.
This Sandpiper is said to be the most numerous of
its genus throughout the greater portions of the Arctic
regions, and it breeds in considerable numbers in the
Faeroes, as also in Iceland, Greenland, Spitzbergen,
and Novaya Zemlya.
I leave the description of the nest and egg of this
species to those authors who have personally met with
them. In this country the Purple Sandpiper very
rarely wanders to any considerable distance from saltwater.
