656 BIEDS OF INDIA. 



basal ; wings Innor, very pointed, tlie 1st primary longest ; tail round- 

 ed, of twelve feathers ; tarsus short ; tibia barely denuded; toes 

 divided to the base ; a moderate himi toe ; claws short and pointed. 

 This sub-family is composed of one genus, with only one .species, 

 found on sea-coasts over all the world. 



Gen. Strepsilas, L. 



Syn. Arenaria, Brisson — Morinelln, Meyer — Cinclns, Moehring 

 and Gray. 



Char. — Those of the family of which it is the sole genus. 



This remarkable type has the bill something like that of a 

 Nuthatch, but stronger ; it is a bird of small size, and has a double 

 moult. Cuvier classed it, next the Phalaropes in the following 

 family, but its strong bill, coloraticyi, and habits are quite those 

 of the present group. 



860. Strepsilas interpres, Linn^us. 



Tringa, apud Linnaeus — Blyth, Cat. 1602 — Jerdon, Cat. 

 356. — Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 



The Turnstone. 



Descr. — Head and neck white, the crown of the head, with some 

 black stripes ; a narrow black frontal band, continued behind the 

 eye and meeting another narrow stripe of the same colour from the 

 base of the lower mandible ; shortly beyond, these unite into an 

 incomplete collar, extendmg back along the sides of the neck, and 

 in front expanding and forming a broad gorget covering the 

 breast, and which, at its termination below, sends up another incom- 

 plete band towards the shoulder of the wing ; mantle and wings 

 chesnut brown mixed with black, especially on the sc-apulars ; 

 coverts edged with grey and whitish ; primaries black, stem of the 

 1st white ; secondaries tipped greyish ; back, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts white, crossed on the rump by a black hand ; tail white, 

 with a broad sub-terminal band of black; lower parts white. 



Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs orange yellow. Length 

 85 inches ; wing 6 ; tail 2| ; bill at front | ; tarsus 1. 



The female differs only, it is said, in having the colours not so 

 distinct, and the white on the head and neck lesspure. In winter 



