OCCASIONAL NOTES. 383 
Brack TERN oN THE THAMES.— While going up the river from 
Kingston to Windsor, on August 18th, I saw a Black Tern at Sunbury. 
It followed in our wake for some little way, and then passed our boat close 
enough to enable me to identify the species and to note that it was a young 
bird. Several species of Terns appear on the river about the periods of 
migration in spring and autumn, and sometimes stray a considerable 
distance inland, as, for instance, to the Serpentine, and the reservoirs at 
Kingsbury, Elstree, and Tring. Of these the Black Tern is perhaps the 
rarest.—J. E. Harrina. 
KinertsHers 1x Lonpon.—Referring to the mention of the Kingfisher 
by Dr. Hamilton, as one of the “ Birds of London,” in the July number of 
‘The Zoologist’ (p. 289), may I add that on the 1st of March last I saw 
one fly across the Royal Toxophilite Grounds, Regent's Park, apparently 
on its way from the ornamental water to the Botanical Gardens.— 
R. Watters (Ewell). 
Witp GreEsE In THE IsiE or WicuT In Jung. — A flock of wild 
geese was observed late in the evening on June 30th, flying in two lines, 
at a considerable height, in a northerly direction. I had heard a day or 
two before of geese being seen passing over the Island, but doubted it until 
I had ocular proof, seeing that they are neither migratory nor gregarious at 
this season in general Henry Haprigvp (Ventnor, Isle of Wight). 
StuRGEON IN THE THAMES AND Mepway.—Noticing a letter in the 
‘Standard,’ of August 22nd, stating that a Sturgeon weighing seven 
pounds had been caught in the Thames. it has occurred to me that it 
might be interesting to the writer thereof, and your readers, to know that a 
gentleman and myself, with a bullet and a wire cartridge, shot one in the 
Medway above Maidstone Bridge, weighing one hundred and thirty-two 
pounds, and seven feet nine inches in length, which we sent to her Majesty 
the Queen at Windsor Castle on June 21st last. —ALExanpeER J. RusseLh 
(Town House, Maidstone, Kent). 
Fox SHark or “‘TuresHeR” oFF THE Coast or Duvon.—On July 
29th a fine Fox Shark (Carcharias vulpes), measuring twelve feet in length 
and about four feet in girth, was captured in a herring net off the Start, 
and brought into Plymooth by some fishermen for exhibition. This fish 
had played great havoc with the net, but appears to have become entangled 
and captured by the “head-rope.” A few years since I recorded a small 
specimen that had been taken with a hook and line—a case of very rare 
occurrence.—JoHN GatcomBE (Durnford Street, Stonehouse). 
