58 PLUVIALIN^. OSTRALEGUS. 



The Turnstones appear on our coasts in the end of October, 

 and remain until the beginning of May, or somewhat later. 

 They frequent the rocky parts and gravelly places more than 

 the sands, keeping in flocks, and feeding on small mollusca, 

 Crustacea, and worms. They also sometimes search the 

 shores beyond tide-mark for coleopterous insects. They run 

 with great celerity, occasionally utter a mellow note, and 

 sometimes associate with Ringed Sand-plovers and Oyster- 

 catchers, although, when flying, they generally keep apart. 

 Their flight is rapid, performed by regularly timed beats, 

 often direct, but frequently in curves. Their flesh is not so 

 delicate as that of the Plovers, but rather resembles that of 

 the Oyster-catcher. 



Tringa Interpres and Morinella, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 248, 

 249. Tringa Interpres and Morinella, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 

 738. Strepsilas collaris, Temm. Man. d'Ornith, ii. 553. 

 Strepsilas Interpres, Collared Turnstone, MacGillivray, Brit. 

 Birds, iv. 



GENUS XCIII. OSTRALEGUS. OYSTER- 

 CATCHER. 



The species of this genus, four or five in number, are 

 nearly equal in size, and although much larger, greatly re- 

 semble the Turnstone in form as well as habits. The body 

 is ovate and rather full ; the neck rather long and stout ; 

 the head rather small, oblong, with its upper part rounded. 

 Bill long, slightly bent upwards beyond the middle, penta- 

 gonal and about as high as broad at the base, where it is 

 covered by a soft skin, which extends nearly to the middle, 

 beyond this extremely compressed, and when viewed verti- 

 cally, gradually tapering to a point, but when seen laterally, 

 contracting a little from the base to before the nostrils, then 

 enlarging before the nasal groove, and gradually sloping, 

 but not forming a point, the tips being more or less abrupt. 

 This attenuation of the mandibles is not their original form, 

 but is produced by their being rubbed against hard sub- 

 stances. Mouth narrow ; palate with six series of reversed 

 conical papillae ; upper mandible within flat, the edges pro- 

 jecting but slightly ; tongue very short, fleshy, sagittate and 

 papillate at the base, flat above, pointed ; oesophagus nar- 

 row, dilated a little about the middle ; proventriculus oblong : 



