490 GAME BIBDS OF CALIFOENIA 



white; back dark brown, with feather margins and tippings of buflfy or white; 

 rump, upper tail coverts, and tail, as in adult, except that tail feathers are 

 narrowly tipped with buff; outer surface of closed wing dark brown, with 

 buffy feather tippings and edgings; rest of wing as in adult; band across 

 throat and large area on side of chest, continuous with neck and back, brownish 

 black, finely marked with buffy white; rest of under surface white. Natal 

 phimage: Whole upper surface light buff, profusely marbled with black in 

 fine pattern; sharp stripe between bill and eye, and branch down onto side 

 of jaw, black; center of forehead dark, blending into mottled pattern on top 

 of head; lower surface dull white, with a dusky band across chest. 



Marks for field identification — Moderately small size (about that of 

 Killdeer), short orange-red legs, conspicuously mixed pattern on head and 

 back, double alternation of white and black from lower back to end of tail, 

 broad white band across wing, and black on foreneck and chest. 



Voice — A rapidly repeated kuk, kuk, kiik ; a loud twittering note; a chuck- 

 ling whistle; a clear deep melodious whistle of two or three notes (Forbush, 

 1912, pp. 359, 361). 



Nest — On lake, bay or river shores; a slight depression, sometimes lined 

 with a few grass blades or dead leaves (Eeed, 1904, p. 132; Baird, Brewer and 

 Eidgway, 1884, I, p. 124). 



Eggs — Usually 4, pear-shaped, measuring in inches, 1.60 to 1.72 by 1.13 to 

 1.23 (in millimeters, 40.6 to 43.7 by 28.7 to 31.3), and averaging 1.66 by 1.18 

 (42.2 by 30.0) ; ground-color light olive-brown, cream color, light drab or deep 

 clay color; superficial spots light brown in large bold splashes and spots, most 

 numerous about larger end; deeper markings lilac (of interpres and morineUa 

 together?) (Baird, Brewer and Eidgway, loc. cit.). 



General distribution — North and South America. Breeds near Arctic coast 

 of Canada on lower Anderson Eiver and Franklin Bay, and probably at Mel- 

 ville Island, on Melville Peninsula, and at Bellot Strait, north of Boothia 

 Peninsula; winters from South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas and central Cali- 

 fornia south to central Chile and southern Brazil; occurs in migration over 

 most of the area between winter and summer ranges (Cooke, 1910, pp. 97-98). 



Distribution in California — Eather uncommon spring and fall migrant 

 along the coast; has occurred on San Francisco Bay in winter, and once on 

 Santa Barbara Islands in summer. Spring migration evidently takes place 

 during April and early May, and the fall migration from late July to about 

 the first of October. 



Among the shore birds occurring in California none are more 

 interesting by reason of specialized habits than the tAvo Turnstones, 

 of which the Ruddy Turnstone, the subject of the present account, is 

 the rarer species. Being strictly maritime in its preference, and 

 never, so far as known, even straying inland, this bird comes under 

 the observation of but few persons. 



In California the Ruddy Turnstone is a sparing spring and fall 

 migrant, and is apparently more numerous in some years than in 

 others. Stragglers have occurred within our boundaries during both 

 winter and summer. Records of this species in the northern half of the 

 state are as follows: Eureka, Humboldt County, August 28, 1912 

 (specimen in F. J. Smith coll.) ; Farallon Islands, May 7, 1887, one 



