TURNSTONE. 151 



gular in its return to any given spot where it has been the 

 previous year. 



The chosen localities are sandy shores, or shingly and 

 rocky coasts, here and there covered with sea-weeds, but 

 on black soft muddy shores it is never seen ; it also seems 

 partial to short, grassy, heath-covered shores during the 

 breeding season. 



The genera] appearance of the Turnstone is very hand- 

 some, owing as much to its figure as to its gay apparel ; 

 its motions on the ground are graceful and dexterous, it 

 runs much like the Lapwing, every now and then stopping 

 short to rest or pick up food, especially when it has reached 

 any elevation, either large or small ; it is able to run very 

 fast, and does so when pursued before it takes wing ; its 

 flight is elegant and quick, performed generally with half- 

 extended wings that are considerably curved ; its evolutions 

 are very dexterous, skimming either close over the water or 

 the ground, and rising high in the air it seems to depart, 

 when, on a sudden, it returns again to the spot. 



In its nature it is sociable among its own species, and 

 among other sea-birds ; but it is one of the most shy to- 

 wards man, and can consequently only be shot from some 

 hiding-place during its stay with us. 



The food consists in marine insects and their larvae, which 

 it obtains by turning up the pebbles and stones with its 

 wedge-shaped beak ; where one or more of these birds have 

 frequented a certain spot on the shore, the number of stones 

 that have evidently been turned over is considerable; and this 

 circumstance is the origin of its name ; it feeds also on 

 marine sand-worms and small Crustacea, and during high 

 water it takes beetles and worms from the meadows that 

 skirt the shore. 



The bird is very easily tamed, and may be kept in con- 

 finement on Bechstein's universal paste. 



