THE BIRD BOOK 



284. Black Turnstone. Arenaria melanocephala. 



Grayish. 



Range. — Pacific coast of North America, breed- 

 ing from British Columbia northward, and winter- 

 ing south to Lower California. 



This species, which has the form and habits of 

 the preceding, is blackish above and on the breast; 

 the rump and the base of the tail are white, being 

 separated from each other by the black tail cov- 

 erts. Their nesting habits are in no wise differ- 

 ent from those of the common turnstone. The 

 eggs are similar, but the markings are not so 

 strikingly arranged. Size 1.60 x 1.10. Data- 

 Kutlik, Alaska, June 21, 1898. Nest simply a de- 

 pression in the sand on the sea beach. 



OYSTER-CATCHERS. Family H^MATOPODID^E 



[285.] European Oyster-catcher. Hcematopus frazari. 



This European species is very similar to the American one which follows, 

 casually occurs in Greenland. 



It 



286. Oyster-catcher. 



Haematopus palliatus. 



Range. — Breeds on the coast of the South 

 Atlantic States and Lower California and win- 

 ters south to Patagonia. Oyster-catchers are 



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Aimrican Oyster-catcher. 



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large, heavy-bodied birds, with stocky red legs 

 and long, stout red bills. The present species 

 has the whole upper parts and entire head and 

 neck, blackish; underparts and ends of secondaries, white; length, 19 inches. They 

 are abundant breeding birds on the sandy beaches of the South Atlantic States, 

 and casually wander north to Nova Scotia. They lay their two or three eggs 

 on the ground in slight hollows scooped out of the sand. The eggs are of a 

 buffy or brownish buff color, and are irregularly spotted with blackish brown, 

 with subdued markings of lavender. Size 2.20 x 1.50. Data. — Sandy Point, S. 

 C, May 12, 1902. Three eggs on the sand just above high water mark; nest a 

 mere depression on a small "sand dune" lined with pieces of shells. 



170 



