484 The Water-fowl Family 



in July, and from Jamaica, Louisiana, and Texas throughout the 

 year. In the migrations chiefly along the coast, especially the 

 Atlantic, but occurs throughout the interior of the United States, 

 except, possibly, the Great Basin. 



The turnstone is cosmopolitan and well known 

 in nearly all parts of the world. It is common on 

 the coast of North America, and is found in the 

 interior on the Great Lakes and larger bodies of 

 water. It is seen in small flocks early in August 

 on the flats, following the tide out with the sand- 

 pipers and plover, or in the marshes, often on the 

 gravelly beaches and where the shore is rough 

 and rocky. Here they follow the water's edge, 

 looking for their food of insects and little worms 

 along the lines of seaweed cast up by the tide, 

 often turning over small stones and picking in 

 the sand underneath ; active and restless all the 

 time, apparently not watching the observer, then 

 suddenly running a short distance and taking 

 wing, uttering a grating whistle as they speed 

 over the surface of the water to a safer feeding- 

 ground just beyond. In the few places where 

 they can tarry unmolested, the birds become as 

 gentle as the smaller sandpipers, and it is a pleas- 

 ing sight to see the turnstone in its bright calico 

 markings, one of the ornaments of our northern 

 beaches. At the Magdalen Islands the boys 

 often catch them with horse-hair snares, as they 

 gather about the heaps of kelp. Along the Atlan- 



