38 MEMORANDA ON THE PURPLE SANDPIPER.
book19 already mentioned. Therein be says, and doubtless
rightly in a restricted sense, that the Purple Sandpiper is "a
rather rare visitor to our coast."
Thereafter he enumerates its occurrence, either shot or seen,.
in some twenty-four cases, and in ten different localities. If we
take these latter from north to south they run as follows :—
River Stour (Essex), Harwich, Dovercourt, Walton-on-Naze,.
Mersea, Southminster, New England Island, Shoebury, South-
end, and Canvey Island.
Thus the places named comprise a strip equivalent to, or
concurrent with, the seaboard fringe of our county. Otherwise
expressed, the above data point to their mainly frequenting our
tidal estuaries.
The list recorded (op. cit.) at first sight bears semblance-
of the species being fairly numerous. But then it has to be
taken into account that the dates of observations cover a period
of over half a century—to be more precise, some 73 years'
duration. If visits viewed in latter light—few and far between
—then indeed a comparative rarity. But taken in another
aspect, that is to say, allowing for the few that keep together,
their pitching on scattered, out-of-the-way corners, thinly trod
by gunners or trappers, and paucity of skilled observers and
recorders, it is feasible to believe that Essex sees them oftener
than appears on the surface of things.2" Moreover, Essex
intervenes in the line of their supposed migratory route, of
which more anon.
Migration.—Here we merely have to deal with the fringe
of a most interesting, but intricate topic21 concerning bird-life.
This, however, only so far as is relevant to the Purple Sand-
piper's coming and going within Essex—the legitimate district
of the Club's labours. In several important ornithological
works22 will be found in detail what is known respecting the
19 Birds of Essex—Special Memoirs of Essex Field Club. Vol. II., p. 247
20 A remark that may equally apply to two of the Counties immediately north, where
ornithologists have ever been more wide-awake regarding the whereabouts of said species.
Consult, Babington, Birds of Suffolk (1884-86 ; Stevenson. Birds of Norfolk (1870); also vols.
and papers of Gurney, Gunn, Patterson, and other Norfolk Naturalists.
21 Howsoever enticing, I have purposely refrained from entering into the so-called
"Philosophy of Migration," and mass of literature thereon. Even up to the present,
ornithologists are far from agreed as to the primary origin, purpose, weather conditions,
speed of travel, precise routes, height of flight, and sense of direction, etc., influencing
birds in their annual migratory journeys.
22 Particularly, Dresser, Birds of Europe (1871-81), vol. viii. ; Howard Saunders, Ed. of
Yarrel's Hist, of Brit. Birds (1882-85), vol. iii., and his later Illus. Manual of Brit. Birds (2nd
ed. 1899) ; Seebohm Brit. Birds (1883-85), vol. iii., and his Geogr. Distrib. Fam. Charadriidae,
1888.