TURNSTONE. 293 



forward and upward, goes to the base of the lower mandible, 

 encirclmg a white spot at the base of the upper mandible ; 

 top of the head, the occiput, and back of the neck, white, 

 streaked with black ; sides of the neck and the scapulars 

 rich black ; interscapulars, and smaller wing-coverts, dark 

 red ; greater wing-coverts black, edged with red ; wing- 

 primaries greyish-black, with pure white shafts ; tertials 

 nearly black, tipped and spotted with red ; the back white ; 

 rump with a transverse band of black ; upper tail-coverts 

 and the base of the tail-feathers white, the other part 

 greyish-black : all, except the two middle ones, tipped with 

 white ; chin white ; sides of the neck, the throat, and upper 

 part of the breast, rich black ; lower part of the breast, 

 belly, vent, under tail-coverts, under surface of the wing, 

 and the axillary plume, pure white ; legs and toes rich 

 orange-red ; claws black ; the hind toe articulated on the 

 inner surface of the tarsus, and directed inwards towards 

 the other leg, not backwards as in most other birds. 



The whole length of the bird is nine inches and a half. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, six inches ; 

 the first quill- feather a little longer than the second, and 

 the longest in the wing. 



The sexes do not differ much in plumage ; but in winter 

 the ferruginous portions of the plumage are not so rich in 

 colour, and the legs and feet are much paler. 



In young birds of the year the whole of the plumage of 

 the upper surface of the body, and round the throat in front, 

 is dull brownish-black ; the feathers of the body edged with 

 yellowish- white ; those of the wing-coverts and tertials edged 

 with reddish buff-colour ; the chin, breast, belly, and under 

 tail-coverts, white ; the legs and toes pale orange, almost 

 flesh-colour. 



The young in down is dark grey above, spotted with 

 black, a narrow black band from the crown to the forehead, 

 and another from the gape to the eye ; the underparts 

 merging from greyish to white. 



