TUENSTONE 293 



stones on the white coral-sand beach. Apparently, with waders of other species, 

 they had recently arrived, after the long flight from their breeding grounds. 

 They were active enough, but in poor condition. During migration, tliey can 

 have little chance to obtain food, and the strain of flying thousands of miles 

 affects even the healthiest birds. But they obtain abundance of food in their 

 Austral haunts, and soon become plump again. Many localities in Australia 

 are admirably suited to the turnstone's needs, and it is not a rare bird with 

 us, indeed, on islands of the Great Barrier Reef, northeastern Queensland, 

 it may be termed a common species. 



W. B. Alexander tells me that the turnstone is " a fairly common 

 visitor to Australian coasts. My earliest record is of a pair seen on 

 the beach at Oyster Cay, Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland, on 

 August 27, 1925, and my latest record a pair on the estuary of the 

 Lost River on the south coast of Western Australia on April 25, 

 1914." 



DISTRIBUTION 

 ARENARIA INTERPRES INTERPRES 



Range. — Mainly in the Eastern Hemisphere. 



Breeding range. — The turnstone breeds on the Arctic coasts of both 

 hemispheres, but its exact status in North America is still somewhat 

 indefinite. The known breeding range extends from probably 

 Greenland (Disco Bay, Tuctoo Valley, and Bowdoin Bay) ; east to 

 Iceland; Norway (Smolen Islands); Sweden; Lapland; Finland; 

 Nova Zembla; Siberia (Balagansk, and Plover Bay); Kamchatka; 

 probably the Commander Islands; and Alaska (St. Lawrence Island, 

 St. Michaels, Takshagemut, Port Clarence, probably Cape Lowen- 

 stern and Point Barrow). 



Winter range. — In winter the turnstone is found on the coasts of 

 Europe and Asia north to the British Isles; Japan and Hawaii. 

 They range south at this season to South Africa (Cape of Good 

 Hope); Madagascar; the Mascarene Islands; Australia; New Zea- 

 land ; and Chile. 



Migration. — In North America, early dates of spring arrival are: 

 Alaska, St. Michael, May 15; and Greenland, north of latitude 

 81° 30', May 27. Late dates of fall departure are Greenland, north 

 of latitude 81° 31', September 11; and Alaska, Nushagak, Sep- 

 tember 21. 



Casual record. — The turnstone can be considered only as a casual 

 or accidental visitant anywhere in North America south of the breed- 

 ing grounds. A specimen taken at Pacific Beach, California, Sep- 

 tember 8, 1904, was identified as the European race, but the record 

 also has been questioned (Grinnell). Four specimens taken on San 

 Geronimo Island, Lower California, March 15, 1897, were considered 

 by Oberholser as typical of the European or Asiatic race. One was 



