CHARADRIDZ. 341 
where rough stones, mud and sea-weed are mixed: 
in these places it seeks its food by turning over the 
smaller loose stones, shells and sea-weed, in order 
to capture the insects and small shell-fish that may 
be concealed under them; and for this work the 
beak is admirably fitted, but it is much too short for 
boring in the mud, as so many sea-side birds do. 
Meyer says the nest—which is little more than a 
shallow depression, sparingly lined with a few bents 
of grass—is usually placed under shelter of some 
plant, stone or abrupt corner; at other times on the 
bare sand or small broken stones. 
I have given the description of the Turnstone in 
three different states of plumage, as there seems to 
me to be some little doubt about the changes it goes 
through. Yarrell says nothing about summer or 
winter plumage, yet all the winter-killed specimens 
I have ever seen resemble the last-described bird, 
and they can scarcely all be young birds of the year; 
if so, what becomes of the old ones during the 
winter? In the full plumage it is a very richly- 
coloured handsome bird: the beak is black; the 
irides dark brown; the crown of the head and nape 
are white, spotted with black; a streak over the eye, 
the ear-coverts, the side of the neck and a spot 
between the eye and the beak are white,—this white 
spot is surrounded by black; the chin and throat 
are white; the breast and a collar round the neck, 
and a streak which reaches to the black surrounding 
263 
