106 SURF BIRDS AND TURNSTONES 



markings, and with more of buffy. Young : like winter adults but still 

 more buffy ; feathers of upper parts strongly tinged with buff. Length : 

 8.00-9.10, wing 6, bill .80-.90, tarsus 1.50-1.60. 



Distribution. — Western United States, breeding from Texas to Dakota 

 and Montana ; west, mainly in winter, to California and south to Lower 

 California and San Luis Potosi, Mexico ; accidental in Florida. 



Nest. — A slight depression in the prairie lined sparingly with leaves and 

 grass. Eggs: 3 or 4, cream color to light olive, spotted with purplish 

 gray, dark brown, and black. 



Totally disregarding its name, the mountain plover Inhabits the 

 high arid plains, breeding in considerable abundance from the Staked 

 Plains of Texas to Montana, and in Colorado up to 8000 feet. It is a 

 quiet bird, lacking the sharp markings and vociferousness of the kill- 

 deer. Instead of haunting the ponds and meadows, it spends its time 

 picking up grasshoppers and other small insects from the short prairie 

 grass. 



Grinnell reports it a common winter visitor in Los Angeles County, 

 California. Vernon Bailey. 



FAMILY APHRIZIDiE: SURF BIRDS AND TURN- 

 STONES. 



KEY TO GKNERA. 



1. Bill stout, with rounded tip ; tail slightly emarginate. Aphriza, p. 106. 

 1'. Bill with sharp tip inclined upward ; tail slightly rounded. 



Arenaria, p. 106. 



GENUS APHRIZA. 



282. Aphriza virgata (GmeL). Surf Bird. 



Base of tail, upper coverts, and a hroad bar on wing white. Adults in 

 summer: upper parts, head, neck, and chest, slaty gray, specked and streaked 



with whitish, and spotted on scapulars 



■>^g.^ ^^^^^y with rufous; belly white, specked with 



~ ■" £ dusky. Adults in winter: like summer 



^^ adults, but with upper parts, head, and 



'^" ""'• neck plain dusky or slaty gray. Young : 



back brownish gray, feathers edged with white ; throat and breast white, 



streaked with dusky. Length: 10, wing 7, bill .95-1.00, tarsus 1.20-1.25. 



Distribution. — Pacific coast of America from Alaska to Chili. 



The surf bird has never been found in abundance, and its breeding 

 grounds are unknown. 



GENUS ARENARIA. 



General Characters. — Bill short and sharp, with the tip inclined up- 

 wards ; toes unwebbed ; lower back and base of tail white ; rump white, 

 with black patch. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Throat white morinella, 107. 



1. Throat black melanocephala, 107. 



