200 BRITISH BIRDS. 
GEOCICHLA VARIA. 
WHITE’S GROUND-THRUSH. 
(Puare 8.) 
a 
Turdus aureus, Holandre, Ann. de Verr. 1825, p. 310. 
Turdus varius, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. i. p. 449 (1826); et auctorum plurimorum 
—Gould, Macgillivray, Temminck, Homeyer, Radde, Gray, Newton, Tweeddale, 
Dresser, Swinhoe, &e. 
Turdus squamatus, Bote, Isis, 1835, p. 251, 
Turdus whitei, Eyton, Rarer Brit. B. p. 92 (1836). 
Oreocincla whitei (Eyton), Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 186. 
Oreocinela varia (Paill.), Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837, p. 186. : 
Oreocincla aurea (Hol.), Bonap. Cat. Uce. Eur, p. 34 (1842). 
Turdus lunulatus, Lath. apud Blas. List B. Eur. p. 9 (1862). 
Turdus dauma, Lath. apud Pelzeln, Verh. k.-k. zool.-bot. Gesell. Wien, 1871, p. 703. 
Geocichla varia (Pall.), Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit, Mus. v. p. 151 (1881). 
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This handsome bird has occurred in the British Islands at least a dozen 
times. The first record is that of a bird which was taken during the ~ 
winter of 1828. This specimen was announced as new to the British fauna 
by the late Mr. Eyton, who, erroneously believing the bird to be unde- 
scribed, named it in honour of Gilbert White, of Selborne, as a just and 
fitting tribute to one who did so much for the cause of natural history. 
In England the bird has been obtained in several of the southern and 
south-midland counties, once in Norfolk, twice in Yorkshire, and once 
in Durham, In Ireland it has been obtained twice—one specimen in 
South Cork and the other in the county of Longford. Most of these 
specimens were taken in the depth of winter, two in spring, and one in 
autumn. On the continent of Europe it has occurred perhaps a dozen times, 
besides five or six times on the island of Heligoland. Gaetke’s examples 
are among the gems of his unrivalled museum. The occurrence of White’s 
Thrush in Europe can only be considered accidental, though accidents 
_ of this kind happen regularly. After the breeding-season is over in the 
Arctic regions the great stream of migration which passes from north to . 
south through Central Siberia appears to divide before it reaches the — 
mountains of Mongolia, to avoid the deserts beyond. Some species of — 
birds turn east, and others west; and of the species which Nature has 
ordained to winter east, some individuals, probably for the most part young 
birds who have never migrated before, lose their way and get into the 
wrong stream, and thus find their way into Europe as strangers from the 
east, some of whom fall into Gactke’s hands on Heligoland every year. 
The breeding-ground and true home of this fine bird is South-central 
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