TURNSTONE. 205 
winter the small parties amalgamate, forming flocks 
ranging from fifty to five hundred birds, or even more. 
The benefit derived by the farmer from the presence 
of so many of these useful birds in his fields, although 
little recognised, is incalculable. These flocks will 
frequent a restricted area for many weeks, and may be 
seen day after day feeding in the same fields if the 
weather continue open. During a hard frost, however, 
the birds retire to the coast. In open weather we have 
seen immense flocks, which could only be numbered by 
thousands, on the low-lying reclaimed land of the Dee 
Estuary. 
TURNSTONE. 
STREPSILAS INTERPRES (Linnzeus). 
The Turnstone is only known in Cheshire as a pass- 
ing migrant in spring and autumn, and Brockholes 
described it as scarce on the shores of Wirral. Two 
birds in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, were shot 
at the mouth of the Dee on August 31st, 1892, by 
Dr. Herbert Dobie, who saw many others at the same 
time; and an immature bird in the same collection was 
shot at Hoylake in 1893.2, Mr. L. Jones has a specimen 
in his collection of local birds at Hilbre Island; and 
in the Brown Museum, Liverpool, there is a group of 
Turnstones which were obtained in the same locality. 
There were three specimens in the museum of the 
Manchester Natural History Society which were ob- 
tained at the mouth of the Mersey in 1864. Mr. F. L. 
Congreve informs us that he shot two at Burton in 
August 1897, and we have seen one in Mr. R. H. R. 
1 Brockholes, op. cit. p. 11. * Dobie, op. cit. p. 334. 
