TURNSTONE. 
233 
break them, as I afterwards ascertained by walking to the spot. While 
on the Florida coast near Cape Sable, I shot one in the month of May, that 
had its stomach filled with those beautiful shells, which, on account of their 
resemblance to grains of rice, are commonly named rice-shells. 
While this species remains in the United States, although its residence is 
protracted to many months, very few individuals are met with in as com- 
plete plumage as the one represented in my plate with the wings fully 
extended ; for out of a vast number of specimens procured from the begin- 
ning of March to the end of May, or from August to May, I have scarcely 
found two to correspond precisely in their markings. For this reason, no 
doubt exists in my mind that this species, as well as the Knot and several 
others, loses its rich summer plumage soon after the breeding season, when 
the oldest become scarcely distinguishable from the young. In the spring 
months, however, I have observed that they gradually improve in beauty, 
and acquire full-coloured feathers in patches on the upper and lower surfaces 
of the body, in the same manner as the Knot, the Red-breasted Snipe, the 
God wits, and several other species. According to Mr. Hewitson, the eggs 
are four in number, rather suddenly pointed towards the smaller end, gene- 
rally an inch and four and a half eighths in length, an inch and one and a 
half eighths in their greatest breadth, their ground-colour pale yellowish- 
green, marked with irregular patches and streaks of brownish-red, and a 
few lines of black. 
My drawing of the Turnstones represented in the plate was made at 
Philadelphia, in the end of May 1824 ; and the beautiful specimen exhibited 
in the act of flying, I procured near Camden, while in the agreeable com- 
pany of my talented friend Lesueur, who, alas ! is now no more. 
I have not observed any remarkable difference in the plumage of the sexes 
at any season of the year. The males I have generally found to be some- 
what larger than the females, which, as is well known, is not the case in the 
Tringa family. 
My worthy friend, Dr. Bachman, once had a bird of this species alive. 
It had recovered from a slight wound in the wing, when he presented it to 
a lady, a friend of his and mine, who fed it on boiled rice, and bread soaked 
in milk, of both of which it was very fond. It continued in a state of 
captivity upwards of a year, but was at last killed by accident. It had 
become perfectly gentle, would eat from the hand of its kind mistress, fre- 
quently bathed in a basin placed near it for the purpose, and never 
attempted to escape, although left quite at liberty to do so. 
Turnstone, Tringa Interpret, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vii. p. 32. 
Strepsilas Interpres, Bonap. Syn., p. 299. 
Strepsilas Interpres, Turnstone , Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 371. 
