CHARADEID^. 341 



where rough stones, mud and sea-weed are mixed : 

 in these places it seeks its food by turning over the 

 smaller loose stones, shells and sea-weed, in order 

 to capture the insects and small shell-fish that may 

 be concealed under them; and for this work the 

 beak is admirably fitted, but it is much too short for 

 boring in the mud, as so many sea-side birds do, 



Meyer says the nest which is little more than a 

 shallow depression, sparingly lined with a few bents 

 of grass is usually placed under shelter of some 

 plant, stone or abrupt corner ; at other times on the 

 bare sand or small broken stones. 



I have given the description of the Turnstone in 

 three different states of plumage, as there seems to 

 me to be some little doubt about the changes it goes 

 through. Yarrell says nothing about summer or 

 winter plumage, yet all the winter-killed specimens 

 I have ever seen resemble the last-described bird, 

 and they can scarcely all be young birds of the year ; 

 if so, what becomes of the old ones during the 

 winter ? In the full plumage it is a very richly- 

 coloured handsome bird : the beak is black ; the 

 irides dark brown ; the crown of the head and nape 

 are white, spotted with black ; a streak over the eye, 

 the ear-coverts, the side of the neck and a spot 

 between the eye and the beak are white, this white 

 spot is surrounded by black; the chin and throat 

 are white ; the breast and a collar round the neck, 

 and a streak which reaches to the black surrounding 



2G3 



