THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 257 



has always been described to me as a very beautiful blue Thrush. 

 The correctness of this record was proved later on, on my showing 

 to the person who had captured the example referred to above a 

 number of skins, and amongst these one of this species ; for he 

 at once picked out the latter, saying : ' That 's the Thrush I once 

 caught, but mine was a much finer bird.' 



This Thrush breeds in almost all southern rocky mountain- 

 chains from Portugal to the Himalayas, including the rocky islands 

 of the Mediterranean. In the north, its breeding range extends to 

 Switzerland and the Tyrol. 



81. Cat-Bird [BLAUGRAUE DKOSSEL]. 

 TURDUS LIVIDUS, 1 Wilson. 



Turdus (Mimus) carolinensis. Naumann, xiii. ; Blasius, Nachtrage, p. 5 1 . 

 Cat-bird. Turdus lividus. Wilson, Amer. Orn., ii. 90. 

 Orpheus carolinensis, Linn. Audubon, Syn. of Birds of N. Amer., p. 88. 

 Orpheus felifox. Richardson and Swainson, Faun. Bor. 



Amer., p. 192. 



The specimen of this small American Thrush in my possession is 

 the only one of this interesting species that has ever been caught in 

 Europe. It was shot here on the 28th of October 1840 by Oelrich 

 Aeuckens, the eldest of the three brothers, commonly called 'Oelk.' 



This distinguished 'honorary citizen' would most probably 

 have been lost to the list of the birds of Heligoland had not 

 Reymers managed, by strategy, to get the rare stranger into his 

 possession. Considering the almost bitter jealousy which at that 

 time existed between the three stuffers and salesmen of birds of 

 this island, Reymers could not think of obtaining the bird from 

 Oelk by way of purchase. Fortunately, however, a stranger was 

 staying on the island that winter who had dealings with Reymers, 

 and he, before his departure in the spring, went to Oelk for the 

 purpose of buying a few birds for a friend. He bought a Great 

 Titmouse, a Bluethroat, and this Cat-Bird (Turdus lividus). Of 

 course, the friend was no other than Reymers. Six years later I 

 obtained the bird from the latter, after much trouble and pressure. 

 On Aeuckens espying the specimen in my collection, he said at 

 once that he also had shot one like it several years ago, and had 

 sold it to a stranger. I can still see the simple-hearted old fellow's 

 face when I replied that it was the very same bird, and told him the 

 whole story : nor am I inclined to believe that this little instance 

 of ' sharp practice ' stands alone in the annals of the acquisition of 



ornithological rarities. 



Galeoscojrtes carolinensis (Linn.). 

 R 



