132 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



283.1. Ruddy Turnstone. Arenaria morinella. 



Range. Breeds in the Arctic regions, and migrates through all parts of the 

 United States, south to the southern parts of South America. This species has 

 the upperparts variegated with reddish brown, black and white; the underparts 

 are pure white, except for a black patch on the throat, branching upward to the 

 eye and back to the sides of the breast. It has a. peculiar, slightly up-turned 

 bill, which is used, as their name implies, for turning over pebbles and stones 

 in their search for food. They nest commonly in northern Labrador, about 

 Hudson Bay and in Alaska, laying their eggs in scantily lined hollows in the 

 ground near water. The eggs are very peculiar and beautiful, having a light 

 grayish or cream-color ground, peculiarly marbled with many shades of brown 

 and lilac. Size 1.65 x 1.10. Data. Mackenzie River, Arctic America, June 28, 

 1900. Four eggs in a grass lined depression in the sand. 



284 Black Turnstone. Arenaria melanocephala. 



Range. Pacific coast of North America, breed- 

 ing from British Columbia northward, and winter- 

 ing south to Lower California. 



This species, which has the form and habits of 

 the preceding, is blackish above and on the breast; 

 the rump and the base of the tail are white, being 

 separated from each other by the black tail coverts. 

 Their nesting habits are in no wise different from 

 those of the common Turnstone. The eggs are 

 similar but the markings are not so strikingly 

 arranged. Size 1.60 x 1.10. Data. Kutlik, 

 Alaska, June 21, 1898. Nest simply a depression 

 in the sand on the sea beach. Collector, Capt. 

 Tilson. 



[Grayish] 



OYSTER-CATCHERS. Family H/EMATOPODID/E. 



[285]. Oyster-catcher. Hzematopus ostralegus. 



This European species is very similar to the American one which follows, 

 casually occurs in Greenland. 



286. American Oyster-catcher. H&matopus palliatus. 



Range Breeds on the coast of the 



South Atlantic States and Lower Cali- __ ^^^ 



fornia and winters south to Patagonia. 

 Oyster-catchers are large, heavy bod- 

 ied birds, with stocky red legs and long, 

 stout red bills. The present species 

 has the whole upper parts and entire 

 head and neck, blackish; underparts 

 and ends of secondaries, white; length, 

 19 inches. They are abundant breed- 

 ing birds on the sandy beaches of the 

 South Atlantic States, and casually 

 wander north to Nova Scotia. They 

 lay their two or three eggs on the 

 ground in slight hollows scooped out 

 of the sand. The eggs are of a.buffy 

 or brownish buff color, and are irreg- [Buff. 



It 



