TURNSTONE 245 
Young fledglings should not be reared on the ground in 
the same cage with Turnstones. The latter, when search- 
ing for food, may peck at them and toss them about. I 
knew of a male Turnstone which killed three newly-hatched 
Californian Quails by turning them over two or three times 
a day, the youngsters surviving this treatment barely a 
week. Perhaps the baby Quails were mistaken for stones 
which they resemble in colour as they crouch motionless 
on the ground ! 
Food.—This consists of small crabs, shrimps, shell-fish, 
and insects, and the bird seems to be particularly fond of 
sand-hoppers. When it discovers a spot on the strand 
abounding in these creatures it will display the utmost 
activity to procure a big meal. I have examined several 
Fig, 35.—LEFT FOOT OF TURNSTONE. 143 Nat. size. 
gizzards which contained mussels with the shells unbroken 
and measuring 5 x 3 mm., together with other bivalves, 
univalves, shrimps, and fine sand. Other gizzards, void of 
food-stutts, contained quantities of broken, dry, white shells, 
like bits of porcelain, swallowed presumably to aid digestion. 
Other gizzards contained numbers of small crabs, measur- 
ing 5 x 5 mm. Small, pointed sea-snails appear to be a 
favourite food. 
Voice.—The twittering notes sound like a series of 
chuckles, and seem to resemble the syllables chic-a chic-a 
chic-a chée. 
Flight.—The flight is rapid, and fairly straight, and as 
