STREPS1LAS, Illig. Tern. Vieill. Leach. TRINGA, Lin. Ste.
Bill middle-sized, hard-pointed, strong, straight, slightly bent upwards, ridge flattened. tip straight and truncated; nostrils basal, lateral, half closed by a membrane ; legs of moderate length, a short naked space above the knee; the three anterior toes connected at the base by a very short membrane, and the hinder articulated to the tarsus ; wings acuminated.
S. collaris Tem. S. interpres. Leach, Steph. Tringa interpres and Tringa murinella Lin. Turnstone. Sea Dot trel or Hebridal Sandpiper. Varied with black, white, and ferruginous above ; abdomen white; under parts of the cheeks and neck black ; base and tip of the tail white, and the middle black. It is, however, subject to great diversity of markings about the head and neck ; but the black on the breast, and more or less round the neck, is a good distinctive character. Size of a throstle. length nine inches and a half, extent of wing fifteen inches and a half, and the weight somewhat exceeding four ounces. The black in the female is less deep. and the other colours are paler. The young are chiefly mottled with brown and white, and have most of the feathers deeply edged with yellow.
Turnstones inhabit both the old and new continent, but are more common in the northern than in the southern re gions. Though not known to breed with us, they visit sonic of our shores in August, and depart in spring. In the north of Scotland they arc not uncommon, but much more rare in the south of England. They are usually ob served in small flocks, which are supposed to constitute so many families. They make a slight nest on the dry ground, or sand, and lay four olive-coloured eggs, spotted with black. They have their vernacular name from their habit of turning up stones, to get at worms and insects ; and such is the strength and vigour of their hill, that they will sometimes move a stone upwards of three pounds in weight. They are observed to occur only on sea shores.
GRUSt Tem Vieill. Cuv. ARDEA, Lin. Ece. CRANE.
Bill as long as. or longer than, the head, strong, straight, compressed, obtuse towards the tip ; lateral base of the mandible deeply sulcatcd, ridge elevated ; nostrils in the middle of the bill, and closed by a membrane behind; re gion of the eyes and base of the bill naked and papillated, or covered with feathers ; legs long and stout, with a large naked space above the knees, the middle front toe united to the outer by the rudiments of a membrane, the inner divided, the hind toe articulated higher up the tarsus ; wings of moderate di•ensions.
Cranes are periodical migrants, frequenting marshy places, and rarely the sea-shore, subsisting on herbs. seeds, worms, frogs, slugs, &c. There are several species, but only one indigenous to Europe. In most the trachea of the male is of a singular construction, having several con volutions.
G cmerea Beast Tem. rirdea Gras. Lin Ste. Com won Crane. Body cinereous, throat, fore-part or the neck and ecciput dusky, cap and quills black, coverts with di vided webs. Size about that of the turkey, weight ten pounds, and length nearly five feet.
These birds inhabit Europe and Asia, and in autumn regularly migrate in flocks to the southern parts of Asia and Africa. They are common in Sweden, and so nume rous in Poland, that the farmers are obliged to erect huts among their fields of buck-wheat, and station people to drive them off. In the marshes of Lithuania, Podolia, and the neighbourhood of the Dnieper, they are said to remain throughout the year. They were formerly not uncommon in the fenny districts of England ; but they are now hardly ever seen with us. Some years ago, during the harvest, a small flock of them appeared at Tingwall, in Shetland, and were observed to feed on the corn. In France they make their appearance from September to November, but only as passengers southward, and they return in March and April, on their way to the north, which is their breeding station. The female nestles among rushes, or alder bushes, and sometimes on the roofs of detached houses, laying two greenish ash colour ed eggs, spotted with brown. Their ordinary fare con sists of slugs, frogs, worms, grain, and herbs, which grow in marshy situations, or in the fields. In winter they re sort in crowds to Egypt, and the warmer parts of India. In their migratory expeditions they fly very high, and ar range themselves in a triangular form, the better to cleave the air. When the wind freshens, and threatens to break their array, they collect their forces into a circle ; and they adopt the same disposition when menaced by the eagle. They travel chiefly in the night, and betray their course by their loud screams. During their nocturnal voyages, the leader frequently calls to rally his troops, and to point out the track, and the signal is repeated by the flock each individual answering, as if to give notice that it follows, and keeps its rank. Their cries during the day forebode rain ; and their noisy tumultuous screams announce a storm. If, in a morning or evening, they rise upwards. and fly peacefully in a body, we may anticipate fine weather ; but if they keep low, or alight on the ground, we may apprehend a tempest. Like many other large birds, they anticipate some difficulty in commencing their flight, running a few steps, and opening their wings till they mount a little way, and then, having a clear space, they display their vigorous and rapid pinions. When as sepiblecl on the ground they are said to set guards during the night ; and, in the ancient hieroglyphics, they have been consecrated as symbols of circumspection and vigi lance. According to Kolben, they are often observed in large flocks on the marshes in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope. He says he never saw a flock of them on the ground, that had not some placed, apparently as sen tinels, to keep a look out while the others are feeding, and to give immediate notice of the approach of danger. These sentinels stand on one leg, and at intervals stretch out their neck, as if to observe that all is safe ; and on their sounding the alarm, the whole flock are on the wing.