ЊЕ 
A 
TURDUS AURITUS, err. 
CHINESE SONG-THRUSH. 
Turdus auritus, Verr. N. Arch. Mus. vi. Bull. p. 34 (1870); id. op. cit. vii. p. 31 (1871); id. 
op. cit. ix. pl. v. (1873) ; Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 103 (1881). 
Turdus musicus (nec L.), Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 366. 
Hylocienla aurita, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 464 (1885). 
T. similis T. musico, sed remige secundo breviore quam sextus, et gastreei maculis nigris triquetris majoribus et 
valdé conspicuis distinguendus. 
Tue CHINESE SoNG-THRUSH is very like our Turdus musicus in appearance, but it is distinguished by 
the larger size of the spots on the under surface of the body, especially on the flanks. The crescentic 
black mark on the hinder ear-coverts, from which the specific name is derived, is hardly more 
pronounced than in T. musicus, and is not a good specific character. Тһе different proportion of 
the wings, however, noticed by Seebohm (Cat. B. v. p. 185) seems to hold good, the second primary 
being shorter than the sixth in 7. auritus, whereas in T. musicus it is longer than the fifth. 
Abbé David, who first procured the species, states that he met with it at Moupin, in Western 
Szechuen, and also at Pekin (David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 157). Mr. Styan has also received the 
species from Szechuen (Ibis, 1894, p. 300). Prjevalski met with it only in Kan-su, which he 
supposes to be the northern boundary of the species. Itinhabited the wooded parts of the mountains 
and was tolerably common (Prjevalski, in Rowley's Ога. Misc, іі. p. 196). The species is also recorded 
by Berezowski and Bianchi as having been found by the first-named author in Kan-su (Aves Exped. 
Potan. Gan-su, p. 99). 
The late General Prjevalsky gives the following note on its habits in Kan-su :—“ Its song in 
spring is very pleasant, and exactly like that of our Song-Thrush. We found two nests in the 
middle of Мау; one was constructed on the broken stump of a tree, and the other on the branch 
of a willow; both were about seven feet from the ground. In the former there were four, and 
in thelatter two eggs (an incomplete set). They are quite different from those of 7. musicus, 
being rounder, and marked on à dull reddish-white or whitish-grey ground with irregular brown 
and pale reddish-brown spots and streaks. The larger diameter measures 1"-02-1":08, the smaller 
0"76–0"84. Тһе first fledged young we observed on the 30th of June.” 
Mr. Swinhoe, in his list of the Birds of China (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 366) refers to this species 
as T'urdus musicus, and quotes a Foochow specimen in the collection of the late John Gould. He 
adds:—* I have compared this bird, in company with Mr. Gould, with other specimens of this 
species. The Chinese bird does show some differences from home-shot examples, but a bird from 
Malta differs still more." Тһе specimen from the Gould Collection is now in the British Museum, 
and it is undoubtedly an ordinary Song-Thrush (Turdus musicus). Whether it was really obtained 
in Foochow must remain an open question, but my own opinion is that a mistake has occurred 
in labelling the specimen. Certain it is that the bird is 7. musicus and not 7. auritus, and 
though there would be nothing improbable in an individual of our Song-Thrush wintering in 
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