164 Mr. H. Seebolim ow the Ornithology of Heligoland. 



phoenicurus, Pallas (Ibis^ 1862, p. 66), appears to belong to an 

 allied species. Lord Tweeddale, in his article on the Rufous- 

 tailed Shrikes (Ibis, 1867, p. 218), suggests that a description 

 of this bird should be publislied. I give it as follows : — 



Length of wing 3'56 inches, tail 2*94, tarsus '85. The 

 general colour of the upper parts is greyish brown, slightly 

 mottled on the crown of the head, fore neck, the hinder 

 cheeks, and the rump, caused by brown edgings to the fea- 

 thers, possibly the remains of young plumage. An ill-defined 

 pale line over the eye. All the wing-feathers more or less 

 margined with paler. The primaries conspicuously tipped 

 with paler. The third primary in one wing newly moulted, 

 and showing the white spot at the base. Tail pale rufous. 

 Underparts whitish. Some of the wing-coverts tipped with 

 rufous, all with a narrow subterminal line of brown. The 

 second primary is "08 shorter than the sixth. The tail is 

 even, except that the two outside feathers are "4 shorter than 

 the rest. 



After hearing the result of Mr. Gaetke's examination of the 

 rufous-tailed Shrikes in the Berlin Museum, and looking over 

 the skins in the British Museum and in Dresser^s collection, 

 and collating the information given in ' The Ibis,^ 1867, p. 224 

 (Walden), ^ Stray Feathers,^ 1873, p. 174 (Hume), 'Eastern 

 Persia,^ ii. p. 140 (Blanford), and ' Ibis,^ 1876, p. 187 (Severt- 

 zofF), I submit that the Heligoland bird is Lanius isabel- 

 linus, Hempr. &Ehr. (]828)=i>. arenarius, Blyth (1846),= 

 L. phcenicuroides, Sev. (1876). 



The specimens of Tardus varius (Whitens Thrush) are in 

 such perfect plumage, and so artistically mounted, that, in 

 spite of the commandment, it makes one quite covetous to 

 look at them. 



The example of Turdus rnficoUis agrees exactly in measure- 

 ments with skins of that species from Lake Baical in Dresser^s 

 collection. It is an immature bird. The tail is olive-brown, 

 with a rufous cast, especially on the outermost feathers. The 

 shafts of all the tail-feathers are reddish. The under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries are light orange buff. 



The skin of Turdus swainsoni is somewhat less yellow on 



