BLACK TURNSTONE 303 



waves striking the rocks, wlien they finally ceased to feed a few at odd times 

 would drop into the shallow water at the base of the rocks to bathe by dashing 

 it over themselves, following which they would dabble about. 



Mr. Brandt says in his notes : 



Among the shore birds breeding along the coast of Bering Sea there is none 

 more interesting and fascinating than this black and white turnstone. When 

 the mud about the edges of the ponds and tidal sloughs begins to soften, and 

 the accumulated snow water starts to move, this bird appears enlivening the 

 bleak, cheerless marshes with its loud-toned cries and butterfly-like appearance. 

 In the lowland area it is the commonest shore bird, and its contrastive black 

 and white figure is doubly conspicuous, because it resents intrusion of its haunts 

 and sallies forth to meet the approaching stranger ; whereas the rest of the 

 shore-bird tribe found there either skulk away or exhibit indifference. As the 

 Pacific godwit is the self-appointed guardian of the upland tundra, so the black 

 turnstone patrols the lowlands, often to the dismay of the hunter or the irrita- 

 tion of the ornithologist. In spite of its chunky body and comparatively short 

 wings, it is gifted with elegance and swiftness of flight. It does not, like the 

 jihalarope, afford an inviting target for the young native hunters, because not 

 only does it scold on the wing, but it also moves so nervously while on the 

 ground that it is not quiet there even for a fraction of a second. No doubt the 

 hunting jaegers consider it the pest of the flats, for while passing through its 

 domain, these freebooters are usually being annoyiugly followed by one or more 

 of these fiery and courageous defenders. 



Mr. Turner (1886) says that— 



The sea-otter hunters, both native and white, detest this bird, as it frequents 

 the places most resorted to by marine mammals and is certain to give alarm to 

 the otter or seal which the hunter is endeavoring to approach. 



Voice. — Doctor Nelson (1887) says: "It has a habit of circling 

 around the intrtider, during the nesting season, with a fine, clear, 

 peeping cry like the syllables weet, weef too-weet, as it moves rest- 

 lessly about. When disturbed in the vicinity of its nest it also has 

 a sharp peet, weet, weet, very similar to the well known note of the 

 spotted sandpiper." Mr. Turner (1886) says that when alarmed 

 and " taking flight they utter a rattling scream " which is quite 

 startling. 



Field 7narks. — When standing the black turnstone may be recog- 

 nized by its uniformly dark head, neck, and chest, above a white 

 belly; it lacks the Avhite throat of the turnstone, and its upper parts 

 appear all dark. But Avhen flj^ing it shows white patches quite simi- 

 lar to those of the turnstone, a patch in the center of the back, the 

 base of the tail, a stripe in the scapulars and a broad band across 

 the wings; there is rather more white in the wing than in the turn- 

 stone and the black tips extend along only the outer half of the wing ; 

 the surf bird has a much narrower white stripe in the wing. 



Fall.—Doctov Nelson (1887) says, of the departure of these birds 

 from Alaska : " In autumn they move gradually to the southward, 

 until by the last of August they become rarer, and during the first 



