522 



COMMON TURNSTONE. 



turn over the stones beneath which they lie con- 

 cealed, with their beak, and from this circumstance 

 they received their name. They reside on the 

 sea shores, and on the gravelly borders of lakes and 

 rivers ; are most abundant in the northern parts 

 of Europe, less frequent in the temperate regions, 

 and extremely rare to the south : they do not 

 breed with us, but visit our shores in August, and 

 depart in the spring, going northward. They lay 

 four eggs of an olive colour, spotted with black : 

 they generally fly in flocks of three or four in 

 number, probably the brood. 



