THE TURNSTONE 95 
the air the Turnstones are very pretty birds, 
bearing a strong resemblance to the beetle- 
head when on the wing, except when they alter- 
nate scaling and swift wing beats as is their 
habit. When flying they have a curious chat- 
tering conversational note, almost like that 
of the English sparrow. They are said to swim 
well and to make nothing of alighting upon 
the water from their flights. Have never seen 
them do so but do not doubt their seamanship. 
They do not gather into large flocks save dur- 
ing their migrations, at ordinary times being 
found in bunches ranging in number from two 
or three to a dozen birds. 
The Turnstone is a dweller in almost every 
corner of the world. He is found along both 
coasts of our continent, well up into the north 
in summer,—on the Pacific coast to Alaska, on 
the Atlantic shores certainly to Labrador and 
probably well beyond, all along the Arctic coast. 
In the winter months they leave us for the 
milder breezes and bluer waters of the Mexican 
Gulf, and many go far down both coasts of 
South America. 
Though far more common on the ocean 
shores they are at times taken on the Great 
