TurnstoneE. GRALLATORES. STREPSILAS. 205 
land and on the mainland of Scotland is only known as a 
winter visitant, should be stationary through the year in a 
country still farther northward. The peculiarity of climate 
thus indicated, is in all probability attributable to the small 
extent of the Shetland Isles, and the great body of water 
surrounding them, being thus rendered a suitable habitat at 
all seasons to the constitution and habits of the bird. It 
lives on the rocky or gravelly shores of the ocean, and is 
never seen upon the soft and oozy sands, frequented by the 
Scolopacide ; and is also met with, but less frequently, up- 
on the larger rivers and lakes of the interior of Continental 
countries. It is seldom found associated in flocks, being 
either a few together (probably the brood of the preceding 
year) or single; and this last is generally the case with 
adults. It feeds on marine, coleopterous, and other insects, 
as well as on small bivalve molluscz and crustaceze, which it 
finds by turning over the stones with its bill,—an instrument 
most beautifully adapted for that purpose, being strong, 
very hard, and drawn to a fine point, and forming altogether 
a powerful lever. In other respects the manners of the 
Turnstone resemble those of the Plovers; and I have fre- 
quently found it in company with the Ring Dotterel (Cha- 
radrius Hiaticula), which inhabits similar shores. Txem- 
MINCK considers this bird as subject to only one moult with- 
in the year, and that the young probably undergo three of 
these changes before they acquire the mature plumage. My 
observations, however, do not accord with this opinion, as I 
have frequently killed it in spring, when undergoing a 
change, which I considered as the assumption of what he 
has appropriately termed the nuptial livery; and at this time 
also, I think the young birds acquire the plumage described 
by him as characteristic of their completing the first year. 
The Turnstone is found upon most of the European shores, 
but is particularly abundant in Norway, and on the coasts 
of the Baltic. In Africa it is met with in Senegal, at the 
Cape of Good Hope, and several other parts. Its distribu- 
Food. 
