WATER BIRDS. 217 



24, 1876, within a space of two miles, and I afterwards found the birds 

 as numerous at several points along the shore. Every effort was made to 

 discover their nests, without success. The first of July the year previous, 

 Dr. Velie obtained young but a very few days old at this same locality, 

 showing that there is a considerable variation in the time of breeding" 

 (Bull. Essex Inst. VIII, 1876, 123). 



Our notes are too meager to give much idea of its times of departure, 

 but a specimen in the College Museum taken near Forestville, Sanilac 

 county, Nov. 24, 1903, would indicate that stragglers at least remain 

 until ice forms. 



Unlike the Ring-necked Plover this bird is seldom seen in flocks or even 

 in squads, being usually solitary or in pairs, although little family parties 

 of five or six are not uncommon in late summer. It is also more closely 

 restricted to the shores of the large lakes, and we have no record of its 

 occurrence in the interior of the state. 



Its food is probably similar to that of the Ring-neck, and consists 

 largely of the larvae of aquatic insects, with some Crustacea, spiders and 

 worms. In Nebraska Professor Aughey found it feeding entirely on insects, 

 a large part of which were locusts. 



The nest is a mere hollow in the sand, and the eggs are three or four in 

 number, pale buffy, rather sparingly speckled with black and purplish 

 gray and average 1.27 by .96 inches. 



Taverner and Swales found this species nesting on the north shore of 

 Lake Erie during the first week of June, 1905, and state that the birds 

 have the habit of making scores of decoy or false nests, which they often 

 occupy, but in which eggs are never laid. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult in summer: A black bar across the crown from eye to eye, and a collar of black on 

 the sides of the chest and lower neck, sometimes complete on the back of neck but often 

 interrupted by white in the middle line of the chest; a white collar encircles the neck above 

 the black, and is continuous in front with the white throat, chin, and forehead; tlie entire 

 remaining under parts pure white; upper parts from crown to tail uniform pale drab gray or 

 smoke-gray, sometimes pale enough to be called ashy white, and interrupted only by the 

 white collar on the nape and the accompanying black feathers behind it; tail-feathers 

 largely white at base and tip, all except the outer pair (which are pure white) with a sub- 

 terminal blackish bar or spot; a conspicuous white wing-bar, and much of the inner webs 

 of the primaries white, their outer webs and tips dusky or black. Bill black at tij), yellow 

 at base; legs and feet reddish yellow. Sexes almost or quite alike. Adult in winter: 

 Similar, except that the black is replaced with gray like that of the back or a little darker. 

 Young: Similar to winter adults, but witii yellowish or wliite edgings on feathers of the 

 upper parts. Length 6.25 to 7.50 inclies; wing 4.50 to 4. SO; culmen .45 to .50; tarsus 

 .85 to 1. 



Family 28. APHRIZID^. Surf Birds and Turnstones. 

 Only a single Michigan representative, the Turnstone. 



119. Turnstone. Arenaria interpres morinella (Linn.). (283a) 

 Synonyms: Ruddy Turnstone, Calico-back, Rcd-lcggcd Plover.— Tringa morinella, 

 Linn., 17GG, Wils., 1813. — Strepsilas interpres, lUiger, JSll, and authors generally. 



Figure 69. 

 Known by the plover-like bill, white throat, and the checkered or calico 

 pattern, in black, white and rufous, of most of the upper parts. In full 

 plumage the legs are red or distinctly reddish. 



