BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 65 



[Tiinga interpres] y Latham, Index Orn., ii, 1790, 739 (based on Coulon-chaud 



de Cayenne Daubenton, PI. Enl. 340). 

 [Tringa mterpres] 5 Latham, Index Orn., ii, 1790, 739 (based on Coulon-chaud 



gris de Cayenne Daubenton, PI. EnL 357). 

 Arenaria interpres Var. A Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., xxxiv, 1819, 346 



(= Tringa interpres a Latham). 

 Areiuiria interpres Var. B Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hiet. Nat., xxxiv, 1819, 346 



(= Tringa interpres y Latham). 

 Arenaria interpres Var. C Vieillot, Nouv. Diet, d'llist. Nat., xxxiv, 1819, 346 



(= Tringa interpres 5 Latham). 



ARENARIA MELANOCEPHALA (Vigors). 



BLACK TURNSTONE. 



Adults in summer (sexes alike). — General color of head, neck, chest 

 and upper parts dark sooty (clove brown to fuscous-black) ; lores, 

 except posterior portion, white, usually minutely flecked with 

 dusky, at least in part; forehead, superciliary and auricular regions 

 (sometimes whole pileuni and hindneck) streaked or flecked with 

 white, the supra-auricular region sometimes mostly white; sides of 

 chest spotted with white, the feathers of lower chest margined with 

 white; rest of under parts, including axillars and under wing-coverts, 

 immaculate white; lower back, mmp, and posterior upper tail- 

 coverts immaculate white, the anterior upper tail-coverts sooty 

 black; wings dusky, like back, etc., but proximal smaller coverts, 

 broad tips to greater coverts, whole of proximal secondaries, narrow 

 tips to other secondaries, broad edgings to elongated posterior 

 scapulars and tertials, and basal portion of outer wels of proximal 

 primaries white; tail white basally and terminally, crossed by a 

 broad sub terminal band of blackish. 



Winter plumage. — Similar to the summer plumage but color of 

 throat, chest, and sides of head much lighter (hair brown, more or 

 less deep), the feathers of chest distinctly darker centrally, and with- 

 out any white markings on head, neck, or chest. 



Young. — Similar to winter adults, but scapulars, interscapulars, 

 and feathers of chest narrowly margined with pale dull buffy or dull 

 whitish, and tail tipped wdth liglit grayish brown instead of white. 



Adult waZe.— Wing, 138-149 (144.3); tail, 58-66 (60.1); exposed 

 cuhiien, 21-23.5 (22.2); tarsus, 24-26 (24.9); middle toe, 22-24.5 

 (23.2).« 



Adult female. —W'mg, 141-153.5 (148.7); tail, 58-64 (60.1); exposed 

 culmen, 22-24 (22.9); tarsus, 23-25.5 (24.7); middle toe, 22-24 

 (23.3).'' _ 



Breeding along Bering Sea and western Arctic coasts of ^Vlaska, from 

 Kotzebue Sound to valley of lower Yukon River (to Cook Inlet?); 

 in migration southward along Pacific coast of southern Alaska, 



« Ten specimens. ^ Eight specimens. 



