'■1W^ 



STREPSILID.E — THE TURN'STONES — STREPSILAS. 



125 



bronzy green reflection, brij,'litest on the upper parts; posterior lower parts, upper part of the 

 rump, upper tail-coverts and ends of the greater coverts, pure white. Adult, in brcediuy-pliirrKuje : 

 Anterior lower parts sooty-bluck, like the back ; lores covered by a larj,'e patch of white; a small 

 postdciiliir spot of the same ; forehead and auriculars streaked or dashed with white ; juyulum 

 speckled and dashed with white, forminf; a wide band of these markings, more or less interrupted 

 ill tlie middle portion. Adult and ijouny in winter: Anterior lower parts and head, smoky brown. 



Winter plumage. 



much lighter than the back ; no trace of white markings about the head or juguluin. Younrj in 

 first plunuKjc : Similar to the winter dress, but breast, etc., more gray, each feather of the upper 

 parts narrowly bordered terminally with light buff or whitish. 



Length, about !) inches ; wing, 8.80-9.10 ; culmen, .85-1.00 ; tarsus, 1.00-1.10 ; middle toe, 

 .90. 



This very distinct species averages considerably larger than S. interpret, while it differs radically 

 in its coloration, the pattern of which is to a certain extent quite different, the dusky on the 

 breast extending much farther back than in that species. The summer dress is in this bird much 

 handsomer than the winter livery, while the reverse appears to be the case with the Common 

 Turnstone. 



The Black-headed Turnstone is common along the Pacific coast of North America. 

 A single specimen, exactly this bird, has been received from India. Ur. Cooper 

 states that he lias seen a few Turnstones, in black plumage, along the southern part 

 of the California coast during the cooler months, and has found several on the 

 Farallon Islands in June ; and they have also been obtained at Monterey and in 

 Puget Sound in August, so that there seems to be no change in their colors with 

 the season. Still Dr. Cooper was inclined to regard these as only immature speci- 

 mens of (S'. interpres, interrupted, from some cause, in their full development. He 

 was unable to find their eggs, and susjiected them of barrenness. Their habits, so 

 far as he was able to observe, seemed similar to those of S. intcipres. They frequent 

 rocky shores, and are fond of perching on logs, wrecks, etc., where they find small 

 Crustacea, barnacles, etc., on which they chiefly feed. This bird is said to fly very 

 swiftly, and as it moves, to utter a shrill whistle, which is its only note. It is also 

 described as being very shy, and associating only in small parties. 



At Michaelofsky, Alaska, on the shores of Norton Sound, ]\[r. E. Adams (Ibis, 1878) 

 met with what was probably this species. A few Turnstones made their appearance, 

 in pairs, on the 31st of May. They frequented the salt-marshes, where he often 

 found them sitting upon logs of driftwood which overhung the water. They fed 

 about the mud, on insects, worms, etc. ; but he did not see them near the sea-shore, 

 nor in company with any other species. 



