Tn the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



249 



black and white of its plumage affording most pleasing contrasts. 

 The young birds are quite of a different colour, and are of rather 

 an uninteresting appearance. I see Meyer asserts that the " adult 

 birds (male and female) resemble each other perfectly, and are 

 not to be distinguished from each other," but I was not aware that 

 the adult female was also adorned with the same rich colouring as 

 its mate. Their name well determines their habit of life and means 

 of existence, viz., turning over the stones and debris on the shingle, 

 and searching for* the marine insects and larvee hid underneath them. 

 They are most persevering in their efforts to turn over any stone or 

 other object they have once set their hearts on ; and a most interesting 

 account of this habit will be found in the "Life of a Scotch Naturalist 

 (Edwards)," in pp. 243 to 246, where he gives a most graphic 

 description of the way in which two little Turnstones, eventually 

 helped by a third of their species (who came most opportunely to 

 the assistance of his fellows) turned over a dead cod ; first by in- 

 dustriously undermining it on the lower side of the beach by scraping 

 away the sand, and then by running round to the other side and 

 pushing under it with their beaks and breasts, until, after one or two 

 failures, they effected their object — tumbling after the cod for some 

 distance as it fell over, through the impetus of the efforts they used. 

 The fish he describes as being nearly three feet and a half long, and 

 had been embedded in the sand to the depth of about two inches. Any 

 naturalist who has not read the above-mentioned book ought not to 

 delay a day in procuring and reading it. Hart tells me he has 

 known the Turnstone to remain all the summer in the Christchurch 

 district. 



Olareola Torquata. " Pratincole." My notices on the Charadridte 

 would not be complete were I altogether to omit the mention of 

 the single instance of this extremely rare bird which has occurred 

 in our neighbourhood. In November, 1852, Mr. Hussey, of 

 Tilshead, shot one of these birds near a sheep-fold, where it con- 

 tinually settled among the sheep after it had several times risen and 

 returned to the same spot. He describes the flight of the bird as 

 being exceedingly swift and rapid. Meyer mentions their habit of 

 returning to some favourite spot which they may have selected for the 



