The Turnstones 
Description. — Adult in summer: Back, scapulars, etc., variegated black and 
chestnut-rufous, with a little white edging; the black pure on sides of neck or “shoul¬ 
ders,” and continuous with that of chest; rufous predominating on wings; upper lores, 
cheeks, sides of throat, foreneck and sides of breast glossy black; throat and lower 
lores pure white, and the remaining portions of head and neck impure white, the 
crown heavily or lightly streaked with black; rump, basal portion of tail, with lateral 
and longer upper coverts, the greater wing-coverts (principally), and the remaining 
underparts entirely, white; basal portion of upper tail-coverts, and subterminal portion 
of tail, black, the latter tipped narrowly with white and rufous; more or less concealed 
white on primaries;—altogether a piece of patch-work in three colors. Bill short, 
stout, sharpened, but not acute, slightly upturned, black; feet and legs bright orange, 
blackening at the joints. Winter plumage: Without rufous; the black mostly re¬ 
placed by brown, and the rufous by gray; black of breast much restricted—patchy 
or spotted; chin and throat and sometimes belly faintly roseate. Immature: Similar 
to adult in winter, but with some ochraceous margining above; head chiefly dusky, 
the fore-neck clouded with dusky. Length 228.6-254 (9.00-10.00); wing 146.1 (5.75); 
tail 58.4 (2.30); bill 22.9 (.90); tarsus 25.4 (1.00). 
Recognition Marks. —Robin size; patch-work in rufous, black, and white 
above; black and white below; beach-haunting habits. In winter variegated both 
above and on breast, as distinguished from the more solid black of A. melanocephala. 
Nesting. —Does not breed in California. Nest: A hollow in the ground or 
pebbly beach, scantily lined. Eggs: 4; olive-buff, deep olive-buff, or dull water- 
green, intricately and sometimes obscurely marked with olive-browns of several shades 
and some vinaceous gray. Av. size 42.2 x 30 (1.66 x 1.18); index 71. Season: June— 
July; one brood. 
Range of Arenaria inter pres. —Nearly cosmopolitan; breeds in northern portions 
of Northern Hemisphere south to the Yukon Delta and Japan. 
Range of A. i. interpret. —As above, except North America east of the Mackenzie 
delta, the eastern seaboard of North and South America, and the Americas interiorly 
during migrations. 
Occurrence in California. —Common during migrations, especially coastwise. 
Spring; Santa Barbara, Apr. 25—May 10. Fall: Santa Barbara, July 25—Oct. 2. 
Casual in winter. 
Authorities.—W. E. Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, vol. i., 1888, p. 44 , 
(Farallon Ids.); Bowles and Howell , Condor, vol. xiv., 1912, p. 11 (Santa Barbara, 
migr. dates); Howell , Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 12, 1917, p. 50 (s. Calif, ids.). 
No. 262 a Ruddy Turnstone 
A. O. U. No. 283a. Arenaria interpres morinella (Linnaeus). 
Description. —“Similar to A. i. interpres, but coloration lighter; adult male in 
summer with cinnamon-rufous areas on upperparts relatively much more extensive, 
and black areas corresponding!}' more restricted, and black streaks on pileum narrower; 
adult female in summer with cinnamon-rufous mostly replacing grayish brown on 
upperparts; wings and tail averaging decidedly shorter” (Ridgway). 
Range of A. i. morinella. —Breeds in Arctic America east of Alaska, and migrates 
south through North America, but chiefly along the Atlantic seaboard through the 
West Indies and along the Caribbean coast of Central America to Brazil. 
