BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 103 



FAMILY APHRIZID-ffi. TURNSTONES, ETC. 

 SUBFAMILY ARENAB1IN.&. TURNSTONES. 



THE TURNSTONES. 



Two species of this subfamily, the common Turnstone and the Black Turnstone, 

 are found in the United States. They breed commonly in the Arctic regions. The 

 common Turnstone is abundant on the Atlantic coast during migrations. The Black 

 Turnstone has never been observed on the Atlantic side, but is numerous on the 

 Pacific coast "from the Alentian Islands, south to Monterey, California." The name, 

 Turnstone, is derived from its curious habit of turning over small stones, etc., when 

 scratching for food, consisting almost entirely of different forms of aquatic insect- 

 life. Both species, it is stated, nest on or near the sea beach, and deposit their eggs 

 in slight depressions in the sand or shingle. The eggs, said to be two to four in 

 number, are described as light olive, spotted or speckled all over with brown. 

 Turnstones are rather small-sized birds, but, like a plover, robust in form. The head 

 is small, neck short, wings long and pointed, and when folded reach almost to the 

 end of the rather shortand very slightly rounded tail. Lower part of tibiae naked; legs 

 short and stout; four toes, hind one well developed, and like the others has a sharp 

 pointed and curved claw; anterior toes have no basal webs. The bill, shorter than 

 the head, is stout, hard, much higher than wide, and tapers to a sharp point. Broad 

 nasal fossse extend about half the length of maxilla. The sexes are alike, but they 

 vary considerably with age and season. 



GENUS ARENARIA BRISSON. 

 Arenaria interpres (LiNN.). 



Turnstone ; Calico-Back ; Calico-snipe, etc. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 82). 



Adult in spring. Bill black; eyes brown; legs orange red; throat most of head 

 above (except middle of crown, which is streaked with black and reddish) lower 

 part of back, some upper tail-coverts, sides under surface of wings, lower part of 

 breast, belly and under tail-coverts, white ; upper part of back and wings varied 

 with black, brown and ferruginous. The greater wing.coverts and some secondaries 

 are mostly white; upper part of breast, fore neck, broad patches under eyes; broad 

 bars on sides of neck, black. The young have colors much duller with little or no 

 black or bright ferruginous. Length about 9 inches; extent about 18 ; bill little 

 less than 1 inch. 



Habitat. Nearly cosmopolitan. In America from Greenland and Alaska to the 

 straights of Magellan; more or less common in the interior of North America on the 

 shores of the great lakes and the larger rivers. Breeds in high northern latitudes. 



Specimens of this species have been obtained at Erie bay by Messrs. 

 George B. Sennett and James Thompson, where this bird occurs much 

 oftener during- migrations than elsewhere in Pennsylvania. 



I have seen two or three Turnstones which were killed in the fall, after 

 severe storms, in Philadelphia and Delaware counties. This species has 

 also been observed about the shores of the Susquehanna by Senator 

 Gerard C. Brown, York county, W. W. Stoey, Dauphin county, and Dr. 

 A. C. Treichler, Lancaster county. 



