200 BRITISH BIRDS. 



GEOCICHLA VARIA. 

 WHITE'S GROUND-THRUSH. 



(PLATE 8.) 



Turdus aureus, Holandre, Ann. de Terr. 1825, p. 310. 



Turdus varius, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. \. p. 449 (1826) ; et auctorum plurimorum 



Gould, Macyillivray, Temminclt, Homey er, Radde, Gray, Newton, Tweeddule, 



Dresser, Sivinhoe, &c. 



Turdus squamatus, Boie, Isis, 1835, p. 251. 

 Turdus whitei, Hi/ton, Rarer Brit, B. p. 92 (1836). 

 Oreocincla whitei (Eijton), Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 136. 

 Oreocincla varia (Pall), Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 136. 

 Oreocincla aurea (HoL), Bonap. Cat. Ucc. Ear. p. 34 (1842). 

 Turdus lunulatus, Lath, apud Bias. 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). 



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 Gaetke's hands on Heligoland every year. 



The breeding-ground and true home of this fine bird is South-central 



