NON-INDIGENOUS BRITISH BIRDS. 71 



Family TURDID.E. Genus Geocichla. 



Sub-family TURDIN.E. 



WHITE'S GROUND THRUSH. 



Geocichla varia {Pallas). 



(British : Very rare abnormal autumn migrant.) 



Number of broods unknown. Laying season, May (?). 



Breeding area: Eastern PaliEarctic region. Wiiite's 

 Ground Thrush is presumed to breed in South Siberia 

 from the Baikal area eastwards along the valleys of 

 the Amoor, in North-east Mongolia, Manchooria, and 

 Northern China, but its alleged nest has only been taken 

 in the latter locality. Dr. Menzbier is of the opinion 

 that this Thrush is distributed during the breeding 

 season " throughout the whole wooded districts of 

 Siberia" to as far west as the forests of the Urals. In 

 support of this latter statement he records {Ibis^ 1893, 

 p. 372) three examples obtained in July and August in 

 the Governments of Ufa and Perm. Prof. Kovtzov 

 states that it is rare in Southern Tobolsk and common 

 in Northern Admalinsk. 



Breeding habits : Our information respecting the 

 nidification of White's Ground Thrush is only of the 

 most meagre kind, and to a certain extent of a very 

 unsatisfactory nature. Indeed, cautious naturalists are 

 fully justified in casting doubt upon the discovery of the 

 nest and eggs of this species, inasmuch that they were 

 never authenticated in the only possible way that could 

 dispel all uncertainty, namely, the shooting of one or 

 both parents at the nest. The late Mr. Swinhoe, who 

 obtained this nest and eggs in Northern China in the 

 spring of 1872, is known to have been a careful student ; 

 but as he only saw the birds that he presumed rightly 



