TUJ^^STONE. 



1^> 



patch on iiind neck, bliuk. Reinaindei uf upper parts, iiiiittltd with black, chestnut-red, and white. Secondaries, white 

 with an elongated spot of'brown on terininai portion. Primaries, brown, with base of all and tips of inner, white. 



Youny. Similar to tiie adult but the black markings are not as di.stinct, nor is there much red above. Bill, black 

 iris, brown, and feet, red, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the peculiar black markings on the head and breast. Distri jstsd in summer, throughout Ai ;tic 

 America; wintering from the Carolina;?, southward. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Avenige iiiea.sureinents of specimens from Eastern America. Length. 9-25; stretch, 18-0(1; wing, 5-40: tail,2-6<"l: bill, 

 •95; tarsus, 102. Longest specimen, OSO; greatest extent of wing, 19-30; longest wing, 6-0.5; tail, 2 75; bill, I-OO; tarsus, 

 1-15. Si.irtast sp3ciin3n, 9-00; smallest extent of wing, 18-50, shortest wing, 5-75; tail, 2-o0; bill, -90; tarsus, -90. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Eyys, placed on the ground in a depression of the soil, on a little grass. They are from two to four in number, rather 

 pyrifonu in shape, greenish-ash in color, spotted and blotched irregularly and thickly with yellowish-brown, and scatter- 

 ingly with dots of umber. Dimensions from ri7xl'5ti to 120 x I 65. 



HABITS. 



The Turnstones are easily recognized hy their conspicuous colors, especially by the 

 white rump with its black spot; in fact, they appear so completely mottled with black, 

 white, and red, that in some sections, they are called Calico Birds. They arrive from the 

 North early in August and while in Massachusetts, during autumn, spend the greater por- 

 tion of their time on rocks which have been left exposed by the tide, searching for small 

 marine animals. They will, however, occasionally alight on the marshes, in order to catch 

 grasshoppers, on which they sometimes feed. In the North, where they are hunted con- 

 tinually, like all shore birds, they become very shy but in the South, where Inrger game is 

 abundant, they are seldom disturbed and, consequently, are quite unsuspiL-ious, being so 

 tame, in fact, that I have frequently walked within a few yards of them without causing 

 them to take wing. In this section, they resort to the pebbly sea beaches, along which 

 they run nimbly, occasionally pausing to turn over the smaller stones or siiells, that they 

 may find the insects which lurk beneath them, and it is this liabit which has given them 

 the name of Turnstone. 



These birds do not appear to be very common anywhere and in all my experience on 

 the coast between the two great gulfs, I do not remember having seen over twenty together 

 at one time, and this number is rare; indeed, I .should consider a Hock consisting of ten or a 

 dozen specimens, quite large for this species. I saw a few scattering Turnstones flying 

 about the oyster bars at Sinithville, North Carolina, during the last week in November, 

 and from this point to Key West, they are found <luring winter but are never very abun- 

 dant in the South. They return North in .May Imt when migrating to their breeding 

 grounds, they pass quite rapitUy. The note of the Turnstone, consists of an al>rupi, clear 

 whistle, u.sually given just as the birds rise or is occasionally uttered as tliey fly. 



FAMILY III. RECURVIROSTRIDJi. THE STILTS. 

 Bill, much longer than the head, more or less curvii upward, flattened and hard through- 

 out. Hind toe, absent or very small. Keel, about equal in height to the width cf the ster- 

 num. Marginal indentations, four Legs, exceedingly long. 



