Birds. 3077 



no one so greatly as of himself, to detect mistakes, to rectify misap- 

 prehensions, to point out errors, and to communicate new and in- 

 teresting particulars in regard to a variety of objects. 



I have been led into these remarks, which I willingly admit are of 

 very common-place character, in consequence of the following com- 

 munications from Mr. Thomas Edward, Banff. They confirm so far, 

 in ray humble opinion, what I have ventured to say in regard to ad- 

 ditional facts being yet in store, even in this country, for those who 

 will observe for themselves, and with conscientious diligence, minute- 

 ness and patience. The first refers to the turnstone (Strepsilas In- 

 terpres*), a bird which, in this part of the kingdom at least, is by no 

 means of frequent occurrence, and of the habits of which, a fuller 

 and more satisfactory account has been given by Audubon than by 

 any European ornithologist with whose writings I am acquainted. 



" Passing along the sea-shore to the west of Banff, I observed on 

 the sands at a considerable distance before me, two birds beside a 

 large-looking object. Knowing by their appearance that they did 

 not belong to the species which are usually met with in this quarter, 

 I left the beach and proceeded along the adjoining links, an eminence 

 of shingle intervening, until I concluded that I was about opposite to 

 the spot where the objects of my search were employed. Stooping 

 down, and with my gun upon my back prepared for action, 1 

 managed to crawl through the bents and across the shingle for a con- 

 siderable way, when I at length came in sight of the two little 

 workers, who were busily endeavouring to turn over a dead fish which 

 was fully six times their size. I immediately recognised them as 

 turnstones. Not wishing to disturb them, anxious at the same time to 

 witness their operations, and observing that, a few paces nearer them,, 

 there was a deep hollow among the shingle, I contrived to creep into it 



* The generic name ' Strepsilas ' is evidently from the Greek word ' strepsis,' 'the 

 act of turning ;' and it alludes happily enough to the habit which the bird possesses 

 of turning stones over with his lever-like bill when it is searching for its food. Of 

 the reason, however, which induced Linnaeus, by whom it seems to have been first im- 

 posed, to adopt 'interpres' as the specific name of the turnstone, I am unable to find 

 any explanation. I have read over with some care the article ' Interpres,' in the 

 Latin Lexicon of Facciolati, and the meanings there given to the word in English 

 are ' mediator, umpire, arbitrator, referee,' and as the most general, ' interpreter.' In 

 what manner any of these meanings can have a reference to the turnstone, as to its 

 systematic arrangement, its structure or its economy, it is beyond my ability to see. 

 In his scientific nomenclature, Linnaeus would seem at times to be capricious, not to 

 say whimsical. 



