78 The Scottish Naturalist. 



First occurrence of White's Thrush ( Turdns vaj-his, Pallas = T. IVhitci, 

 Eyton) in Scotland. — In the last week of December 1878 a specimen of this 

 very rare and beautiful Thrush was shot by Mr Forbes Burn at Hardacres, in 

 Berwickshire. Not being aware of its rarity, unfortunately only a portion of 

 the bird was saved — the head and wings unskinned, with part of the skin of 

 the breast and back — and forwarded to me on January 22, 1879, to preserve 

 as an ornament for a lady's hat. I immediately took the necessary steps to 

 try and secure what was left of it for the ornithological collection of the Kelso 

 Museum, which were successful, the owner very promptly and kindly present- 

 ing it to that institution. The relative lengths of the prima,ries may be inter- 

 esting, as they differ from Yarrell's measurements of the original British 

 specimen, which was shot by Lord Malmesbury in Hampshire, January 24, 

 1828, and named after White of Selborne by Mr Eyton, who was not aware 

 that it had been previously named T. varius, and described by Pallas as an 

 inhabitant of Siberia. Length of wing from carpal joint 6^ inches ; first 

 feather very short, iX ^nch ; the second feather in the right wing is ^ inch 

 (probably not being full grown) ; and in the left about y% inch shorter than 

 the fourth. (The second and fourth in Lord Malmesbury's specimen were 

 equal.) The third is the longest in the wing, being about y% inch longer than 

 the fourth. Length of bill from gape, one inch four lines. The marking on 

 the head is also different. Yarrell says : " The feathers on the upper part of 

 the head and neck, yellow-brown, tipped with black." In this specimen these 

 feathers are black (becoming lighter on the basal half as they go backwards), 

 with a yellow-brown spot about one-sixteenth of an inch from the tip. In 

 other respects it agrees with his description so far as can be seen. 



I believe another bird of the same kind was seen on January 19th by Mr 

 A. Steel. It was feeding on a bare sandy spot, under some large willow- 

 trees, at the south end of Kelso bridge. He had an excellent view of it before 

 it took flight ; and after seeing the remains of the Hardacres specimen, he is 

 convinced that it belonged to the same species. Both birds were solitary. 



In Yarrell's lifetime there appears to have been great confusion between 

 the true T. varms and other allied species. Professor Newton, who has 

 seen and examined this specimen, has very kindly communicated a large 

 amount of interesting information concerning these birds, especially to those 

 who have not seen his edition of Yarrell's 'British Birds' (1872). I there- 

 fore give the following extracts from his letters : "At least nine examples of 

 tliis bird have been before now killed in Britain. They are — 



1. Christchurch, Hai.ts^ 24th January 1828. 



2. Ban don, Cork, December 1842. 



3. Welford, Warwickshire, 261)1 January 1859. 



4. ])allymahon, Longford, 1867. 



5. Ilestercombe, Somerset, January 1870. 



6. Langsford, Somerset, 6t]i January 1871. ^ 



7. Hickling, Norfolk, loth October 1871. 



8. Castle Eden, Durham, 31st January 1872. 



9. Probus, Cornwall, early in January 1S74." 



After mentioning the example said to have been killed in the New Forest, 

 and another example recorded as having been killed near Huddcrsfield, 

 wliich, he thinks, wants confirmation, Professor Newton says : "I have heard 

 also of three otlicrs having been seen — one in Kent, one in Yorkshire, and 



