TURNSTONE. 487 



THE name of Turnstone has long been applied to this 

 species from the method adopted by these birds of searching 

 for food by turning over small stones with their strong 

 beaks to get at the marine insects that lurk under them. 

 The habit is not more singular than the species, which is 

 the only one of the genus hitherto discovered by naturalists, 

 and is remarkable for the beauty and variety of its plumage. 

 Tt inhabits the sea shore and the margins of lakes and large 

 rivers, occasionally associating with some of the smaller 

 Plovers or the Sanderling, next to be described, which 

 it more resembles in its manners than the Sandpipers. It 

 feeds on the smaller Crustacea, and the soft-bodied animals 

 inhabiting thin shells, turning over stones, and searching 

 among sea-weed for its food ; but is observed to dwell 

 longer in one place, if not disturbed, than the Plovers, 

 and is said to utter a loud twittering note when on the 

 wing. 



It frequents our coast either singly or in small flocks of 

 four or five in number, from August throughout the winter 

 till May, when it leaves us to go northward to breed, and 

 returns in August with its young, which at that time have 

 none of the fine, rich, red, black, or white colours, so con- 

 spicuous in the adult birds. Dr. Fleming says it is station- 

 ary in Zetland, and from having seen it there at all seasons, 

 concluded it bred there. When on the coast of Norway, 

 Mr. Hewitson says, " We had visited numerous islands 

 with little encouragement, and were about to land upon a 

 flat rock, bare except where here and there grew tufts 

 of grass, or stunted juniper clinging to its surface, when our 

 attention was attracted by the singular cry of a Turnstone, 

 which, in its eager watch had seen our approach, and 

 perched itself upon an eminence of the rock, assuring us, by 

 its querulous, oft-repeated note, and anxious motions, that 



