340 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



TURNSTONE, Strepsilas interpres. I scarcely know 

 why this bird has been included in the Plover family, 

 as it decide dly differs from them in two material 

 respects : the beak is not at all like that of the true 

 Plovers, but sharp-pointed and wedge-shaped, and it 

 has a very well-developed hind toe, but this is placed 

 rather on the inside of the leg than straight behind, 

 as is the case with most birds. It is a tolerably 

 numerous species along our shores in winter, but I 

 do not know that any remain to breed here, though 

 they appear to be found occasionally at all times of 

 the year. Mr. Haddon, of Taunton, has one full- 

 plumaged bird in his collection, which was brought 

 alive to him on the 1st of June ; it had just been 

 caught at Stolford, near Burnham ; and there is a 

 note of a bird, probably a Turnstone, having been 

 shot at Weston-super-Mare, in July, 1862,* but the 

 description of the bird there given is scarcely suffi- 

 cient to enable one to identify it with any certaintj^. 

 These are the only instances I know of its having 

 been taken in this county in the summer; but I 

 have seen them in Guernsey, and killed one in 

 beautiful plumage, in July. Yarrell says they retire 

 to the North to breed in May, and return to this 

 country with their young brood in August. 



The favourite place of resort of the Turnstone 

 appears to be the rough stony parts of the sea- shore, 



* See ' Zoologist' for 1864, p. 9362. 



