White's Thrush 17 



His name has been corrupted to " Felfer," "Felt," "Pigeon Felt," or 

 "Blue Felt" by country folk. 



Family— TURD ID ^E. Subfamily— TURDIN^. 



White's Thrush. 



Turdus varius, Pallas. 



THIS bird, also known as " White's Ground-Thrush " and placed in the genus 

 Geocichla, is only an accidental straggler to our shores ; about a dozen 

 examples having been obtained in the southern and midland counties of Bngland 

 and two in Ireland. Therefore, although, from the writer's standpoint, it has no 

 more claim to be called British, than any foreigner stranded on the British coast 

 has to be called an Englishman, its claim to the title is stronger than in the 

 case of the " Black- Throated," the " Rock Thrush," and many other species 

 usually included in the British list on the strength of single examples which have 

 come to hand. 



White's Ground-Thrush is a native of South-central and South-eastern Siberia 

 and of North China : at the approach of winter it migrates to South Japan, South 

 China, the Philippines and even to Sumatra. The first example obtained in Great 

 Britain was shot in Hampshire in January, 1828 ; and, being supposed to be new to 

 science, was named Turdus whitei by Byton, in honour of White, of Selbourne : 

 thus the trivial name of White's Thrush was first applied to it. 



The upper surface of this species is ochraceous brown, with black tips to the 

 feathers; the wing feathers are darker and tipped with buff; the tail \i.'&s fourteen 

 feathers, the four central ones ochraceous brown, the others dark brown, all tipped 

 with white ; the under surface is white, tinged with buff on the breast, and boldly 

 spotted with black crescent-shaped markings : the bill is brown, the lower mandible 

 paler ; the feet yellowish brown, the iris dark brown. The sexes are supposed to 



