While they were thus employed, and after they had laboured in
this manner, at both sides alternately, for nearly half an hour, they
were joined by another of their own species, which came flying with
rapidity from the neighbouring rocks. Its timely arrival was hailed
with evident signs of joy. I was led to this conclusion from the
gestures which they exhibited, ami from a low but pleasant murmuring
noise to which they gave utterance as soon as the new comer
made his appearance: of their feelings he seemed to be perfectly
aware, and he made his reply to them in a similar strain. Their
mutual congratulations being over, they all three fell to work, and
after labouring vigorously for a few minutes in removing the sand,
they came round to the other side, and putting their breasts simultaneously
to the fidi, thev succeeded in raising it some inches from
the sand, but were unable to turn it over: it went down again to
its sandy bed, to the manifest disappointment of the three. Kcsting
however, for a space, and without moving from their respective positions,
which were a little apart the one from the other, they
resolved, it appears, to give the matter another trial. Lowering
themselves with their breasts close to the sand, they managed to push
their hills underneath the fish, which they made to rise to about the
same height as before; afterwards, withdrawing their bills, but without
losing the advantage they had gained, they applied their breasts to
the object. This they did with such force, and to such purpose, that at
length it went over, and rolled several yards down a slight declivity.
I t was followed to some distance by the birds themselves, before they
could recover their bearing. They returned eagerly to the spot from
whence they had dislodged the obstacle which had so long opposed
them; and they gave unmistaken proof, by their rapid and continued
movements, that they were enjoying an ample repast as the reward
of their industrious and praiseworthy labour.
I was so pleased and even delighted with the sagacity and perseverance
which they had shown, that I should have considered myself
as guilty of a crime had I endeavoured on the occasion to take away
life from these interesting beings at the very moment when they were
exercising, in a manner so happy for themselves, the wonderful
instincts implanted in them by their great and ever merciful Creator.
When they appeared to have done and to be satisfied, I arose from
my place of concealment. On examining the fish, I found it to be a
specimen of the common cod; it was nearly three feet and a half
long, and it had been imbedded in the sand to about the depth of
two inches.'
Meyer observes, ' T h e general appearance of the Turnstone is very
The following nvich more extraordinary occurrence is narrated by
Mr. Edward, in the same magazine, pages .'J0T7-S-9:—
' P a s s i n g along the sea-shore on the West of Banff, I observed on
the sands, at a considerable distance before me, two birds beside a
large looking object. Knowing by their appearance that they did not
belong to the species "which are usually met with in this quarter, I
left the beach, and proceeded along the adjoining links, an eminence
of shingle intervening, until I concluded that I was about opposite
to the spot where the objects of my search were employed. Stooping
down with my gun upon my back, prepared for action, I managed to
crawl through the bents and across the shingle for a considerable way,
when 1 at length came in sight of the two little workers, who were
busily endeavouring to turn over a dead fish, which was fully six
times their size. I immediately recognised them as Turnstones. Not
wishing to disturb them, anxious at the same time to witness their
operations, and observing that a few paces nearer them there was a
deep hollow amongst the shingle, I contrived to creep into it unobserved.
1 was now distant from them but about ten yards; and had a
distincl and unobserved view of all their movements. In these there
was euvinced that extraordinary degree of sagacity and perseverance,
which comes under the notice only of those who watch the habits
of the lower creation with patience and assiduity, and which, when
fully and accurately related, are not unfrcquently discredited by individuals,
-who, although fond of Natural History, seem inclined to
believe that anything in regard to animals must necessarily be false,
or at least the result of ignorance, unless it has been recorded in
books which are considered as of authority on the subject. But to
return: having got fairly settled down in my pebbly observatory, I
turned my undivided attention to the birds before me. They were
boldly pushing at the fish with their bills and then with their breasts:
their endeavours, however, were in vain—the object remained immovable.
On this they both went round to the opposite side, and
began to scrape away the sand from close beneath the fish. After
removing a considerable quantity, they again came back to the spot
which they had left, and went once more to work with their bills and
breasts, but with as little apparent success as formerly. Nothing
da mi led, however, they ran round a second time to the other side,
and recommenced their trenching operations, with a seeming dcterni"
nation not to he baffled in their object, which evidently was to
undermine the dead animal before them, in order that it might be
the more easily overturned.