TURNSTONE, OR SEA DOTTEREL. 31 



iiicr to Wilson, they arrive in the month of April, and there 

 linger until June, very soon after which they are seen at 

 their breeding quarters, on the shores of Hudson's Bay, and 

 along the desolate strand of the Arctic Sea, where they have 

 been met with by the Northern navigators, as far as the 75th 

 parallel. They already begin to depart from these remote 

 boreal regions in August, in which month, and even towards 

 the close of July, I have seen young birds for sale in the 

 market of Boston. They visit the shores of Great Britain 

 also about the same time, arriving thence probably from the 

 arctic shores of Siberia. Five or six weeks later, they are 

 observed to visit the borders of the Delaware, and proceed 

 onward to the south as the weather increases in coldness. 

 The most southern summer residence of this species known, 

 if Mr. Fleminor be correct, is the Scottish isle of Zetland. 

 They are also said to inhabit the isles of the Baltic during 

 summer. In a mere depression of the sand or gravel, along 

 the sea coast, it is said to drop its eggs, which are four in 

 number, and according to Mr. Hutchins, are of an olive 

 green, spotted with blackish brown. 



It is naturally of a wild and solitary disposition, coursing 

 along the shore by pairs, or in small families which have 

 been bred together. In the months of May and June, in 

 New Jersey, they almost wholly feed upon the spawn of the 

 King-Crab, or Horse-Foot, (Monoculus polypheinus , Lin.) 

 which affords them and other animals an abundant and 

 almost inexhaustible supply. 



The Turnstone, while flying, often utters a loud twitter- 

 ing note, and runs at times with its wings lowered, but is 

 less swift in its movements than most of the Sandpipers, 

 and more patient and intent in obtaining its fare. Like 

 the Woodpeckers it is content to search over the same place 

 for a considerable length of time ; the mechanism of its bill 

 seems well provided for this purpose, and it is often seen in 



