THE RUDDY TURNSTONE. 691 



THIS is undoubtedly the rara avis of Western littoral ornithology. It is 

 credited with a range extending from Bering's Strait to Chili ; hence, it prob- 

 abl}- breeds in the Northern Hemisphere, and winters south. In habit, it ap- 

 pears to resemble the Black Turnstone, save that it is more solitary. It bears 

 a superficial resemblance also to the Wandering Tattler, and is likely to be 

 found in the same situations. Our Washington record was made by Dr A. K. 

 Fisher, who took a specimen from the Blakely Rocks opposite Seattle. 



No. 281. 



RUDDY TURNSTONE. 



A. O. U. No. 283.1. Arenaria interpres morinella (Linn.). 



Synonyms. — C.-\lico-b.\ck. C.\lico-bird. Braxt Snipe. Braxt-bird. 

 Checkered Sxtpe. Stoxe Sxipe. Horsefoot Snipe. 



Description. — Adult in sitiiuiicr: Back, scapulars, etc., variegated black and 

 chestnut-rufous, with a little white edging; the black pure on sides of neck or 

 "shoulders," and continuous with that of chest ; rufous predominating on wings ; 

 upper lores, cheeks, sides of throat, foreneck and sides of breast glossy black ; 

 throat and lower lores pure white, and the remaining portions of head and neck 

 impure white, the crown heavily or lightly streaked with black ; rump, basal por- 

 tion of tail, with lateral and longer upper coverts, the greater wing-coverts (prin- 

 cipally), and the remaining underparts, entirely white; basal portion of upper 

 tail-coverts, and subterminal portion of tail, black, the latter tipped narrowly with 

 white and rufous; more or less concealed white on primaries; — altogether a piece 

 of patch-work in three colors. Bill short, stout, sharpened, but not acute, slightly 

 upturned, black; feet and legs yellow, blackening at the joints. Winter plumage: 

 Without rufous; the black mostly replaced by brown, and the rufous by gray; 

 black of breast much restricted, hninaturc: Similar to adult in winter, but 

 with some ochraceous margining above ; head chiefly dusky, the fore-neck clouded 

 with dusky. Length 9.00-10.00 (228.6-254) ; wing 5.75 ( 146.1 ) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; 

 bill .90 (22.9) ; tarsus i.oo (25.4). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin size; patch-work in rufous, black, and white 

 above ; black and white below ; beach-haunting habits. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Nest: on the ground. Eggs: 3 

 to 4, clay-colored, blotched and scrawled with grayish brown. Av. size, 1.59 x 

 1. 13 (40.4x28.7). 



General Range. — Arctic America breeding chiefly east of the Mackenzie 

 River, south in migrations chiefly coastwise, to the Straits of Magellan ; not 

 uncommon in the interior and probably of regular occurrence tlio not common 

 on the Pacific Coast. 



Range in Washington. — Not common spring and early fall migrant west 

 of the mountains. (Blaine, Sept. i, 1904; Destruction Island, July 17, igo6.) 



