THE TURNSTONE 95 



the air the Turnstones are very pretty birds, 

 bearing a strong resemblance to the beetle- 

 head when on the wing, except when they alter- 

 nate scaling and swift wing beats as is their 

 habit. When flying they have a curious chat- 

 tering conversational note, almost like that 

 of the English sparrow. They are said to swim 

 well and to make nothing of alighting upon 

 the water from their flights. Have never seen 

 them do so but do not doubt their seamanship. 

 They do not gather into large flocks save dur- 

 ing their migrations, at ordinary times being 

 found in bunches ranging in number from two 

 or three to a dozen birds. 



The Turnstone is a dweller in almost every 

 corner of the world. He is found along both 

 coasts of our continent, well up into the north 

 in summer, — on the Pacific coast to Alaska, on 

 the Atlantic shores certainly to Labrador and 

 probably well beyond, all along the Arctic coast. 

 In the winter months they leave us for the 

 milder breezes and bluer waters of the Mexican 

 Gulf, and many go far down both coasts of 

 South America. 



Though far more common on the ocean 

 shores they are at times taken on the Great 



