152 CHARADRIID.E. 



The place chosen for breeding by this species, is gener- 

 ally some sandy shore where heath-plants, and in parti- 

 ticular juniper bushes, grow, and also on sandy and rocky 

 coasts where the ground is bare of vegetation altogether ; 

 it is remarkable, however, that the Turnstone has no fixed 

 choice of locality, inasmuch that where several of them 

 are seen one year, they are known to be entirely absent 

 the next, and so vice versa. 



The nesting-place is sometimes formed under the shelter 

 of some plant, stone, or abrupt corner, and at other times, 

 quite open on the bare sand or small broken stones ; it 

 consists in a shallow depression, sparingly lined, if at all, with 

 a few blades of grass or bent, in which three or four eggs 

 are deposited, which are smaller than those of the lapwing, 

 and when fresh, greenish olive in colour, marked with spots 

 and streaks of dark ash colour and olive-brown or black ; 

 some specimens are much, and others little spotted, but most 

 about the large end ; these eggs differ consequently very 

 much in their markings, and are more brownish-olive in 

 collections than green, owing to the changeable nature of 

 the colours upon egg shells. 



The parent birds are very much attached to their brood, 

 and greatly contribute to their being found out in conse- 

 quence of their noisy behaviour on the approach of danger, 

 since their cries are frequently heard by the intruder long 

 before the birds themselves have been observed. In Au- 

 gust, when the young are full grown, they leave their birth- 

 place with their parents, following the sea-shores southward 

 as before mentioned, for their winter quarters. 



The present species measures about nine inches in length, 

 its wings six inches ; tail two and a half ; and the spurious 

 wing nine lines long by one in width, being therefore very 

 pointed. 



