M6 TURN-STONE. 



consists of a long, hard, pointed, dagger-like tail, by means of 

 which, when overset by the waves, the animal turns itself on 

 its belly again. The male may be distinguished from the female 

 by his two large claws having only a single hook each, instead 

 of the forceps of the female. In the bay of Delaware, below 

 Egg-island, and in what is usually called Maurice river cove, 

 these creatures seem to have formed one of their principal settle- 

 ments. The bottom of this cove is generally a soft mud, ex- 

 tremely well suited to their accommodation. Here they are 

 resident, burying themselves in the mud during the winter, but 

 early in the month of May they approach the shore in multi- 

 tudes, to obey the great law of nature, in depositing their eggs 

 within the influence of the sun, and are then very troublesome to 

 the fishermen, who can scarcely draw a seine for them, they are so 

 numerous. Being of slow motion, and easily overset by the surf, 

 their dead bodies cover the shore in heaps, and in such numbers, 

 that for ten miles one might walk on them without touching the 

 ground. 



The hogs from the neighbouring country are regularly dri- 

 ven down, every spring, to feed on them, which they do with 

 great avidity; though by this kind of food their flesh acquires 

 a strong disagreeable fishy taste. Even the small turtles, or 

 terrapins, so eagerly sought after by our epicures, contract so 

 rank a taste by feeding on the spawn of the king crab, as to be 

 at such times altogether unpalatable. This spawn may some- 

 times be seen lying in hollows and eddies in bushels; while the 

 Snipes and Sanpipers, particularly the* Turn-stone, are hovering 

 about, feasting on the delicious fare. The dead bodies of the 

 animals themselves are hauled up in wagons for manure, and 

 when placed at the hills of corn, in planting time, are said to 

 enrich the soil, and add greatly to the increase of the crop. 



The Turn-stone derives its name from another singularity it 

 possesses, of turning over, with its bill, small stones and peb- 

 bles in search of various marine worms and insects. At this 

 sort of work it is exceedingly dexterous; and even when taken 



