120 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



lincdiiuj Season. — Aii^aist to Dccu'iiilx'i'. 



( ic()(jr(t iihicdl DislrUnilion. — 'J'asinniiiii ( accick'ntal) and Aus- 

 tralia in griicral. 



Observationfi. — Tim iii'st record we liavc of this spct-ics in Tas- 

 mania is contaiiuid in the proci^ctlings of the Uoyal Society, 1894-5 

 )'e.port. We tlusre find that a bird was obtained at Spring Bay, 

 April, 1805, and another at Swajisea in the following July. 



In The Emu (vol. vii., p. 86) Mr. T. Hurst, Caulfield (Vie.), 

 reports having seen a flock of fully 30 " feeding contentedly in a 

 stubble paddock " some twelve miles down the west bank of the 

 River Tamar. This was Easter, 1907. I have grav(! doubts as 

 to the birds seen being correctly identific^d. Personally I have 

 never met with this species in Tasmania, noi' can I ascertain 

 any undoubted record of il, being seen by anyone else since the birds 

 of 189;") were shot. 



The Stone-Plovi>r favoui's grassy plains and nphnids with out- 

 crops of broken stonc^s, where it can hide with ease when danger 

 threatens. T^ike all Plovers, it resorts to strange devices in its 

 erideavours to hu'c an intruder from the vicinity of its eggs or 

 young. Its flight, though rapid, has an appeai'ance of being 

 laboured. It does not remain in the air for long, but soon di'ops 

 to the ground. In disposition it is very shj'; very rarely does it 

 allow one t© approach to within anything like close quarters. When 

 on the ground it runs with great rapidity, and should real or 

 imaginai-y danger threaten, rather than fly it will squat down 

 among the stones and remain practically invisible. The colour 

 of the young bird matches more closely the stones of their haimts 

 than does that of the parent bird. They (the young birds) will 

 remain crouched among the stones until almost trodden on. Stone- 

 Plover usually move about their feeding and breeding grounds in 

 pairs or small bands of four or six birds. Sometimes, however, 

 at certain seasons of the year, they congregate in larger flocks. 

 T believe that it is at night time that this bird moves from one 

 district to another or wings its way to more southerly regions. 

 At the approach of evening the air resounds with its loud, harsh 

 cries. Its food consists of insects and seeds found on thi> ground 

 among the stones of its haimts. 



FAMILY-CHARADRIID/E (24 species). 

 Sub- Family —Arenariinae. 



TURNSTONE 



(Aroiana interprcs, Linn.) 

 Mttlc {breeding plumage). — General colour of u])])ei- surface 

 black mi.xed with chestruit; lower back and runi]» wliilie; upper 

 tail coverts black; tail feathers bhiek, with white bases, all but 



