TURNSTONE. 



29 



Middle tail feathers banded with black and white j the lateral ones 

 nearly all wliite. Bastard wing, primaries, and their coverts, black- 

 ish-brown, the latter tipt with white ; middle of the quill shafts, and 

 of the outer webs of the 6th and succeeding primaries, as well as 

 the bases and borders of the secondaries, white. 



Obs. — We, as well as Dr. Richardson, have never seen birds in 

 the summer plumage, with the yellow spots on the dorsal feathers, 

 figured by Wilson. 



TURNSTONE. (Strepsilus, Ulig.) 



In these birds the bill is shorter than the head, robust, hard, 

 straight, in the form of an attenuated cone, compressed, flattish above, 

 and truncated at the point ; upper mandible slightly recurved from 

 the middle. Nostrils basal, lateral, long, and pervious, half closed 

 by a membrane. Feet rather short, four-toed ; a very small part 

 of the tibia bare ; toes with a narrow margin, divided to their origin, 

 the hind toe touching the ground. Wings long and acuminated; 

 the 1st primary longest. Tail rather short, consisting of twelve 

 feathers. 



This genus comprehends onl}' a single species common to all the 

 world. Like the Sandpipers, with which they have usually been 

 united, they are almost entirely maritime, following the retreating 

 waves, and gleaning at the ebb of the tide, the various marine insects, 

 and small shell-fish, which constitute their food. As may be sup- 

 posed, from their name, they have a peculiar habit of dexterously 

 turning over considerable stones with their bills, in quest of their 

 insect prey. The sexes are scarcely distinguishable by any differ- 

 ence of plumage, and effect their moult half yearly. The young, 

 however, differ much from the adult, and change repeatedly until 

 the third year. 



