SURF BIRD 269 



enough, were in Florida. A flock of six was noted on December 1, 

 1870, at Key West, and one specimen obtained (Maynard) ; R. W. 

 Williams records several at St. James Island between July 20 and 

 August 1, 1901 ; and on December IT, 1927, R. J. Longstreet secured 

 a specimen at Daytona Beach. The only other record is one for 

 Massachusetts, an immature male, taken at North Beach, near Chat- 

 ham, on October 28, 1916, and preserved in the collections of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History (Brooks). 



The species is unknown from Canada. During the international 

 boundary survey, Doctor Coues found mountain plover on French- 

 man Creek and obtained a specimen that is now in the British 

 Museum. This is reported as being labeled " forty-ninth parallel," 

 but the point of collection was probably well within the present State 

 of Montana. 



Egg dates. — Colorado and Kansas: 74 records, April 30 to June 

 16; 37 records. May 14 to 26. Montana and Wyoming: 4 records, 

 May 22 to July 9. 



Family APHRIZIDAE. Surf birds and Turnstones 



APHRIZA VIRGATA (Gmelin) 

 SURF BIRD 



HABITS 



From its summer home in the mountains of central Alaska the 

 surf bird migrates down the Pacific coasts of North and South 

 America as far as the Straits of Magellan. Twice each year some 

 individuals make this long journey, while others are scattered along 

 the coasts from southern Alaska southward. Consequently it may 

 be found, chiefly on migrations but occasionally at other seasons, by 

 those who seek it on the outlying rocky ledges, reefs, and promon- 

 tories all along the Pacific coast. As its name implies, it is a bird 

 of the surf line, associated in its rocky habitat with turnstones 

 and wandering tattlers, unmindful of the flying spray. It well de- 

 serves its generic name, which is taken from two Greek words, 

 aphros, meaning sea foam, and 2ao^ I live. 



S'pring. — The spring migration is directly north along the coasts 

 of both continents. It is difficult to trace the dates, as the winter 

 range is so extensive. The latest recorded date for the Straits of 

 Magellan is March 3 ; and the earliest date of arrival at the Kobuk 

 River, Alaska, is May 29. The main flight along the California 

 coast seems to come in March. Dr. Joseph Grinnell (1909) reports 

 a flight at Admiralty Island, Alaska, on May 12, " a flock estimated to 

 contain 300 waders, fully two-thirds of which were of this species." 



