BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 121 



centre feathers tipped with white; lesser wing coverts blackish} 

 median coverts chestnut mottled with black; greater coverts 

 blackish, tipped with white; primary coverts black, innermost with 

 white tips; primaries black, with white shafts; secondaries mostly 

 white, with blackish tips; crown of the head and hind-neck white, 

 streaked and mottled with black; " base of forehead and narrow 

 frontal line black, followed by a band of white, which unites with 

 a broad eyebrow, and is extended over the ear coverts " (B. M. 

 Cat.); lores and cheeks white; a patch of black beneath the eye, 

 which is connected with the sides of the neck, fore-neck, and sides 

 of the breast, all of which are black interspersed with white; throat 

 and abdomen white ; iris "hazel ; bill black ; legs and feet deep 

 orange-red. Dimensions in mm.: Length, 200; bill, 23; wing, 

 154; tail, 57; tarsus, 24. 



Female (breeding plumage). Chestnut markings less con- 

 spicuous. 



Male and Female (winter plumage). Upper surface, including 

 head, dusky-brown, feathers edged with ashy-brown; sides of face 

 brown ; sides of neck light brown. 



Young. Upper surface dusky-brown, feathers edged with 

 sandy-buff; crown of head dark brown, streaked with sandy-buff; 

 lower throat, fore-neck, sides of neck, and sides of breast mottled 

 with dusky centres to the feathers; rest of plumage very similar 

 to adults. 



Nest. According to Dr. B. B. Sharpe, the nest is constructed 

 in a slight depression in the ground, and lined with a few dead 

 leaves. It is generally concealed behind a bush, or under some 

 byroad-leaved plant or a tuft of herbage. 



Eggs. Clutch four; pyriform in shape; texture fine; surface 

 glossy ; colour greenish-stone, boldly blotched and daubed with 

 umber; there are also some underlying spots of purplish-grey. 

 Dimensions in inches, as given by Dr. Sharpe : 1.5-1.7 x 1.05-1.2. 



Breeding Season. June to (?). 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania, Australia in general; 

 also practically the whole of the rest of the world. 



Observations. The Turnstone is but an infrequent visitor to 

 our shores during the summer months from the Polar regions, 

 from whence it arrives in winter or non-breeding plumage. 



Writing of this species, Dr. Sharpe says: "This handsome 

 little Plover is by no means shy, and in autumn the young birds 

 may be approached within easy distance of observation. I have 

 seen them at this latter period of the year resting, at full tide, 

 on the green herbage just beyond the high water mark in some of 

 our southern harbours. When sitting on the shingle, however, 

 their plumage so completely harmonizes with the surrounding stones 

 that they are not discovered until they fly up with a sharp note. 

 It is essentially a bird of the sea-coasts, and is very seldom seen 

 inland, although it is said to move across country in its migra- 



