GRALLATORES. CHARADRIÎDÆ.
T H E TU RN STO N E .
Tringa interpres,
„ morinella,
Strepsilas interpres,
,, - colluris,
Tfié Turnstone, P enn. Bitt» Zool. vol. ii. p. 83î
*Hebridal Sandpiper, ,, ■— g.4, ",
\Phe~ Turmtpné, . . „ TSloNT.'Ornith. Diet. - .
,, - Bewice, BrilJ *Birds, vol. uHpl 116.
^2», „ 7 „ ‘'pï'JM«:
Common 3£urnstone,T?i.ma. Brit. Au. p.
_ - „ ■ Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 204. -
„ „ Jenyns, Brit. Ÿ’ert. p» 18?.: ^
The " -Goüld, Birds of Europe, pt. vi.
Tourne pierre à collier, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. yoj.,. ii.
p. 558.
Strep s ila s . Generic Characters.— Beak as short as the head, strong, thick
at the base, tapering gradually tp the point, forming an elongated cone Lug per
mandible the longest, rather blunt at the end. Nostrils basal, lateral,, linear,
pervious, partly covered by a membrane. Wings long, pointed, the first quill
fealher the longest. Feet four-toed,,three in front, one behind ; the anterior
Jibes united by^^qipbrasoe at the base, and,finished with narrow rudimentary
interdigital mepibranes hind-jtoe articulated- up the tarsus, and only touching
the 'g,rouhd#at-the tip.
r T h e name of Turnstone has long been applied to this
-spares from the method adopted by these birds of searching
for food by turning ever.small- stoneswith their strong beaks
•t60get: at tie marineit i n ^ t i | that lurk under them. The
habit iSinOt more singular than- th&speeies;’ which is the only
:©n^|of the genus hitH^#^disc©vered' by naturalists, and is
remarkaMeM©r .the' beaul^and variety ofit^plumage.. It
inhabit® the' sea shore and the margifts of. lakes and large
T^ers^oecakionally. associating with; some of the smaller Plovers
or the Sande’rling2’®ftstJ .t o ^ ^ ’described, which it more
risfelhbles in its manners than the Sandpipers. It feeds on
the smaller Crustacea1, and the sdft-bodied -animals inhabiting
thin shells,-turning over stones, and^searching:among seaweed
for its food ; but 1st -''dbseryediitb' dwell longer in one
plaice,. if not disturbed, than the Plovers, and is said to utter
a loud twittering note' when on the wing.
It frequfeiftCuur \Goast-. either singly or in small io c |s of
;if©'ur- or -fiyemn number, from August throughout the winter
Still May, when.;it leaves us to go northward to breed, and
returns in August with its;young, which at that time have
none #f the fine, rich, black, or white colours, so conspicuous
in the adult birds. Dr. Fleming says it is stationary
in .Zetland, and from' having^een- it - t'h'ere at all seasons, concluded
if bred there. - When on-the'eoast of Norway, Mr.
Hewitson says, “ We had. visited numerous islands with little
encouragement, and were about 'to land upon a flat rock, bare
except where - here and there grew tufts of grass, or stunted
juniper-(flinging to its surface, when our attention was attracted
by the singular cry Of a Turnstone, which, in its eager
watch had seen our approach, and perched itself upon an