164 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Heligoland. 
phcenicurus, Pallas (Ibis, 1862, p. 66), appears to belong to an 
allied species. Lord Tweeddale, in bis article on the Rufous- 
tailed Shrikes (Ibis, 1867, p. 218), suggests that a description 
of this bird should be published. I give it as follows :— 
Length of wing 356 inches, tail 2’94, tarsus *85. The 
general colour of the upper parts is greyish brown, slightly 
mottled on the crown of the head, fore neck, the hinder 
cheeks, and the rump, caused by brown edgings to the fea¬ 
thers, possibly the remains of young plumage. An ill-defined 
pale line over the eye. All the wing-feathers more or less 
margined with paler. The primaries conspicuously tipped 
with paler. The third primary in one wing newly moulted, 
and showing the white spot at the base. Tail pale rufous. 
Underparts whitish. Some of the wing-coverts tipped with 
rufous, all with a narrow subterminal line of brown. The 
second primary is ’08 shorter than the sixth. The tail is 
even, except that the two outside feathers are •4 shorter than 
the rest. 
After hearing the result of Mr. Gaetke's examination of the 
rufous-tailed Shrikes in the Berlin Museum, and looking over 
the skins in the British Museum and in Dresser's collection, 
and collating the information given in f The Ibis/ 1867, p. 224 
(Walden), f Stray Feathers/ 1873, p. 174 (Hume), f Eastern 
Persia/ ii. p. 140 (Blanford), and f Ibis/ 1876, p. 187 (Severt- 
zoff), I submit that the Heligoland bird is Lanius isabel- 
linus, Hempr. &Ehr. (1828) =JL. arenarius, Blyth (1846),= 
L. phcenicuroides, Sev. (1876). 
The specimens of Tardus varius (White's Thrush) are in 
such perfect plumage, and so artistically mounted, that, in 
spite of the commandment, it makes one quite covetous to 
look at them. 
The example of Turdus ruficollis agrees exactly in measure¬ 
ments with skins of that species from Lake Baical in Dresser's 
collection. It is an immature bird. The tail is olive-brown, 
with a rufous cast, especially on the outermost feathers. The 
shafts of all the tail-feathers are reddish. The under wing- 
coverts and axillaries are light orange buff. 
The skin of Turdus swainsoni is somewhat less yellow on 
