TURDlNiE. 43 



are represented in every part of the world capable of producing food 

 upon which a land-bird can exist. They may be divided into several 

 families, but all those found in Japan belong to the Passeridae (or 

 Acromyodi, if the group be regarded as of more than family rank) . 



The subfamilies of the Passeridse are very diflS.cult to define, and 

 the following attempts at definitions of such as are represented in 

 the Japanese Empire can only be regarded as provisional. 



TURBINE. 



Sexes generally different; young in first plumage (which is 

 moulted in the first autumn) spotted, streaked, and barred on the 

 underparts, and generally also on the upper parts ; first primary very 

 variable, always present, but never as long as the second. The fea- 

 thering of the nostril, the development of the rictal bristles, and the 

 width of the bill vary considerably, but it is impossible to draw any 

 line between the Muscicapine and Turdine genera. 



The Turdinae are almost cosmopolitan, and are well represented in 

 Japan. 



1. GEOCICHLA VARIA. 



(WHITE'S GROUND-THRUSH.) 



Turdus varius, Pallas, Zoogr. Eosso-Asiat. i. p. 449 (1826). 



White's Ground-Thrush differs from every other Japanese Thrush 

 in having black concentric markings on both the upper and the under 

 parts. It is the largest Japanese Thrush, and has fourteen tail- 

 feathers. 



Figures : Gould, Birds of Great Britain, ii. pi. 39 ; Dresser, Birds 

 of Europe, ii. pi. 10. 



White's Ground-Thrush was known to inhabit the mountains of 

 Japan at least as long ago as 1840 (Temminck, Man. d'Orn. iv. 

 p. 604) ; and was obtained in some numbers by the Siebold Expe- 

 dition, presumably near Nagasaki (Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna 

 Japonica, Aves, p. 67). 



It has only once occurred on the island of Yezzo (Blakiston and 

 Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 241), but it must be a very common bird on the 

 more southerly Japanese islands, as great numbers are exposed for 

 sale in the Yokohama market during winter (Swinhoe, Ibis, 1877, 



