RUDDY TURNSTONE 253 



three stripes of white on the hack showing in flight ; white showing 

 in wings in flight ; legs red. Im. — Upper parts brown, streaked 

 with gray ; lower back, wings, and tail in flight, similar to adult; 

 sides of throat and breast dark brown; rest of under parts white. 



The Turnstone is a' not uncommon migrant along the sea- 

 coast in May, and again in August and September, feeding 

 on the outer beaches either in small flocks by itself or in 

 company with Ring-necks, Sanderling, and " Peep." It may 

 readily be distinguished from any of these species by its 

 size (it is larger than a King-neck) and by its striking colors. 

 In the adult plumage, the black breast, rich reddish-brown 

 back, and red feet are very noticeable when it is feeding, and 

 when it flies the display of white, formed by stripes down 

 the middle and sides of the back and along the wings, makes 

 a striking pattern. The young birds may be known by the 

 same pattern of white which shows in flight. The Turn- 

 stone's call-note is a chuckling whistle. 



PLOVERS : FAMILY CHARADRIID-21 



Five species of Plover occur in New York and New Eng- 

 land. The Killdeer is rare and occurs only as an accidental 

 migrant or as a local summer resident. The Golden Plover 

 is a regular autumn migrant, but is far less common than 

 the Black-bellied Plover, and is becoming steadily rarer. 

 The Black-bellied. Plover, the Beetle-head of the gunners, 

 is not uncommon on mud-flats and sand-bars. The Piping 

 Plover breeds not uncommonly on the sandy beaches of 

 Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, and sparingly on Cape 

 Cod and on the Maine coast ; it occurs also as a not uncom- 

 mon migrant at other beaches in New England. The Semi- 

 palmated Plover, the Ring-neck of the sportsmen, is by far 

 the commonest member of the family. It associates regu- 

 larly with the smaller sandpipers, either on the beaches or 

 in the sloughs in the marshes. Plover may be told from 



