Shore-bird Shooting 487 



Pribilofs they pass to the Aleutian Islands, and 

 hereafter we know little of the migration. 



In distinction from the turnstone inhabiting the 

 Old World and Alaska, the American species has 

 been named the ruddy turnstone, on account of 

 its brighter coloring. 



BLACK TURNSTONE 

 (^Arenaria melanocephala) 



Adult male and female in breeding plianage — Head, neck, breast, and 

 upper parts, dusky with a faint reflection of green ; a spot in front 

 and behind the eye with streaks on the forehead and the ear- 

 coverts, white ; wing, marked by a white bar ; primaries, brown 

 on outer webs, white on inner, with white shafts ; lower part of back 

 and rump, white ; upper tail-coverts, black ; lateral ones, white ; 

 tail, marked with a broad, terminal, black band ; chest, dusky 

 brown, lighter than back, white streaks on the breast ; rest of under 

 parts, white ; iris, brown ; bill, black ; legs and feet, yellowish. 



Winter plitinage — Like the summer, but no white on head or neck. 



Young — Similar, but upper parts and breast more grayish, and 

 feathers above edged with whitish. 



Measurements — Length, 9 inches ; wing, 6 inches ; culmen, i inch ; 

 tarsus, I inch ; middle toe, .85 inch. 



Eggs — Four in number ; ground color, drab profiisely spotted and 

 dotted with brown; vary greatly in size; measure 1.70 by 1.15 

 inches. 



Habitat — Breeds from Norton Sound, Alaska, possibly Point Bar- 

 row and northeastern Siberia, on the coast of North America 

 to British Columbia, and probably on St. Lawrence Island in 

 Bering Sea. Winters in California and Lower California south 

 to Santa Margarita Island. Has been recorded from India. 



A Pacific variety, most abundant on the northern 

 parts of the coast, not ranging much below south- 

 ern California. It is common on the shores of 



