COLLARED TURNSTONE. 147 



way, they would not only use the bill and head, but also the 

 breast, pushing the object with all their strength, and remind- 

 ing me of the labour which I have undergone in turning 

 over a large turtle, Among the sea-weeds that had been 

 cast on the shore, they used only the bill, tossing the garbage 

 from side to side, with a dexterity extremely pleasant to 

 behold. In this manner I saw these four Turnstones ex- 

 amine almost every part of the shore along a space of from 

 thirty to forty yards ; after which I drove them away, that 

 our hunters might not kill them on their return." The flesh 

 of this bird is not so delicate as that of the Plovers, but 

 rather resembles that of the Oyster-catcher. It has been 

 observed along all the coasts of England, but has never been 

 found breeding in any part of Britain, nor indeed has any 

 credible person seen it there in the summer months. M. 

 Temminck states that it " nestles in the north ; forms a slight 

 hollow in the sand of the shores, and lays three or four eggs 

 of a greyish, olive, or greenish colour, marked "with brown 

 spots." This species is very extensively distributed along 

 the coasts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and America. 

 Mr. Gould remarks : — " If any bird may be regarded as cos- 

 mopolite it is the Turnstone, for it inhabits the sea-shores of 

 every part of the globe." 



Young fledged. — The young when fully fledged have 

 the upper parts greyish-brown, the feathers darker in the 

 centre ; the throat is brownish-white, the loral space brownish- 

 grey, and there is no white on the nape ; the fore -neck is 

 dark brown, the feathers edged with whitish, the rest of the 

 lower parts, the back, excepting a band on the rump, a 

 band on the wing, and the tail, excepting a dusky band across 

 it, pure white. The bill is dusky, at the base lighter, the 

 feet light orange. In this state, but with some of the 

 second set of feathers interspersed, the young birds arrive 

 here. 



Progress toward maturity. — In winter the young- 

 have assumed the appearance of the adults as described above, 

 only that their dark tints are lighter. 



