4048 The Zoologist— July, 1874. 



unfortunately sold in 1849 with the rest of Mr. Bigge's collection, 

 and that gentleman, though he has most obligingly made every in- 

 quiry, has failed to trace it. It is evident that it was not a White's 

 thrush, for, as described in former editions of this work, it had the 

 second primary as long as the sixth, a character which equally pre- 

 clwdes it, in the Editor's belief, from having been an example of 

 Horsfield's thrush ; while he has been very liindly informed by its 

 former possessor that, though he had no reason to doubt the bird- 

 stufTer's story, the specimen when shown to Mr. Gould, who still 

 remembers the fact, was found by him to have its head stuffed with 

 wool, as was often the case with bird-sliins prepared in Australia. On 

 the whole, therefore, it seems not improbable that, though no fraud 

 may have been intended, the specimen may have been brought from 

 that country, and is most prudently to be omitted from further 

 consideration." — History of British Birds, fourth edition, vol. i., 

 p. 256. It must not, however, be omitted that Mr. Havting adds a 

 second authority for this specimen, as follows: — "Wise, New Forest, 

 p. 314." 



? 3. Mr. Allman, at p. 378 of the eleventh volume of the 'Annals of 

 Natural History,' states he "is in possession of a specimen of this 

 very rare bird, obtained about ten days previously [e.e, previous 

 to the loth of December, 1842] in the neighbourhood of Bandon, 

 county of Cork." Mr. Thompson, who cites Mr, Allnian's com- 

 munication, adds, " It is said, in the 'Fauna of Cork,' that the gentle- 

 man at whose place the bird was obtained, saw what he believed 

 another of the same species there; but when is not mentioned." — 

 Natural History of Ireland, vol. i. p. 129. This specimen "wants 

 the head and neck," and on a comparison with a thrush from Nepal, 

 supposed to be of the same species, and " wanting the legs," ex- 

 hibited the following differences: — "The tail of the Irish bird in 

 length and size generally exceeds that of the Nepal bird ; the quill- 

 feathers of the wing are all longer." In colouring and marking the 

 two birds are similar, "agreeing with the descriptions and figures in 

 Ey ton and Yarrell, with the exception of the unin)portant difference 

 of the Irish one being the deeper in tint, owing, it may be presumed, 

 either to its being killed sooner after moult or being less exposed to 

 the sun or weather than the Nepal bird." I take the liberty to express 

 a donbt as to the propriety of considering the specimen a decided 

 example of the species. Its remains are now in the Museum of 

 Trinity College, Dubliu. 



