GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 251 



latter date most of the birds have passed south. They arrive on 

 their northern passage in our islands at the end of April, and the 

 spring flight lasts about a month ; even in the high north they 

 appear early in June. The Turnstone prefers a rocky or shingly 

 beach to a mud one, and during autumn and winter usually lives 

 in flocks of varying size. Many odd birds, however, may be met 

 with at these seasons, sometimes consorting with other Waders. 

 Most of its time is spent upon the beach in restless quest of food. 

 It is ever running about amongst the pebbles and drifted rubbish 

 on the shore. It indulges in the peculiar habit of turning over 

 shells, pebbles, or any other small objects on the beach — hence 

 its trivial name — in search of the small marine animals that often 

 lurk under them ; and it is said occasionally to use its breast as 

 well as its singularly shaped beak for the purpose. It not only 

 runs about the dry shore, but frequently wades, and Hume states 

 that he has seen it swimming on the sea just outside the breakers, 

 rising from time to time and flying a little way, then settling on 

 the water again. Its flight is not particularly rapid, and as it 

 generally flies straight and not very far from the ground it is a 

 somewhat easy bird to shoot. It is also fond of sitting on an 

 elevated spot ; and Swinhoe states that in China he has seen 

 numbers of this bird perched on stakes and on the ropes 

 suspended between them. The note of the Turnstone is a shrill 

 whistle, resembling the syllable keet ; the bird also utters a double 

 note, which some authorities syllable as hitter, and sometimes the 

 two are uttered in succession, making a treble note. During the 

 love season these notes are uttered so quickly by the male as to 

 form a somewhat musical trill. The food of this species consists 

 of sand-worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and other small marine 

 animals. An example I dissected during the present autumn 

 had its stomach crammed with dozens of minute shells. It is 

 said that this bird is easily tamed. 



Nidificatioil. — The Turnstone breeds in June; and although 

 not gregarious during the nesting season, several pairs not un- 

 frequently hatch their eggs in the same immediate neighbourhood. 

 Its breeding grounds are close to the sea, often on low rocky 

 islands. The nest is usually placed amongst the scanty herbage 

 of the coast, amongst tufts of grass or bushes, and is simply a 



