VARIEGATED THRUSH. 149 



server at Southampton, of whom Mr Bigge bought it for his 

 own collection." Mr Yarrell states that it " appears to be 

 identical with Dr Horsfield's Thrush from Java, and also with 

 specimens from Australia." It is " eleven inches and a half 

 long ; the wing five inches and four-eighths ; the first feather 

 short ; the second as long as the sixth ; the third, fourth, and 

 fifth of equal length, and the longest in the wing." 



As nothing is known respecting the geographical distribu- 

 tion of this species beyond its occurrence in Java and Aus- 

 tralia, it must seem very strange that an individual of it should 

 appear in England. As I think there can be no doubt, from 

 the description of that individual, of its identity wnth Turdus 

 varius, I am obliged to relinquish the name of " White's 

 Thrush, Turdus Whitei," given to it by Mr Eyton. 



Another Thrush, in almost every respect similar, but differ- 

 ing somewhat in the form of the wing, has, according to Mr 

 Yarrell, been shot by the Earl of jNIalmesbury on his estate at 

 Heron Court, near Christchurch, in January 1828. The same 

 eminent naturalist states that this bird agrees with a Ham- 

 burgh specimen figured and described by Mr Gould under the 

 name of " Turdus Whitei," which, if it really be distinct from 

 Turdus lunulatus of New South Wales, it ought to retain. 

 But as I cannot speak decidedly on the subject, not having 

 seen the European specimens alluded to, I must refer my reader 

 to the account given of it by Mr Yarrell in his excellent " His- 

 tory of British Birds," a work certainly far superior to any that 

 has hitherto appeared in this country. That gentleman has 

 been so kind as to inform me, in answer to my inquiry, that 

 " from the diiferences found on a comparison of Lord Malmes- 

 bury''s specimen with those from Java in the collection of the 

 East India Company, (he is) induced to consider Turdus va- 

 rius of Dr Horsfield as distinct from White's Thrush. Two 

 or three specimens," he adds, " have turned up lately, which 

 are also considered distinct," 



