Fishes. 1555 



Occurrence of Wild Geese, Terns and Gray Phalaropes at Worcester. — On Sunday 

 last, between one and two o'clock in the afternoon, a large flock of wild geese passed 

 over the city of Worcester, shaping their course nearly due west ; it is rather unusual 

 to see these migrators thus travelling by day as they mostly travel by night. There 

 has been shot on the banks of the Severn, near this city, a specimen of the common 

 tern (Sterna hirundo, L.), and of the Arctic tern (Sterna arctica, Temm.), both young 

 birds ; their being shot so far inland, indicates rough weather on the coast. Also two 

 specimens of the gray phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus, Flem.) ; this is a rare visitant, 

 and as its equatorial migrations are said not to extend far beyond the limits of the 

 Arctic circle, it would appear that we are more indebted to the rough and boisterous 

 state of the weather, for the capture of these birds as British, than from any migratory 

 desire on their part to pay us such a visit, their delight being in the icy and desolate 

 regions of extreme northern latitudes. — George Reece ; Museum, Worcester, October 

 Ibth, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Tern at PonUy-Pool. — The late equinoctial storms have been 

 again driving specimens of Sterna hirundo inland. One was shot flying about the 

 canal near this town, and brought to me last Monday (October 12th). I have not 

 heard of any having been seen here since there were so many driven up the valley of 

 the Severn a few years ago ; we had then several large flocks which hovered over some 

 large reservoirs of water, about one mile from this town, about two or three days and 

 then departed. — James Bladon ; Pont-y-Pool, October 15th, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Spanish Sea-bream at Sherringham. — I received yesterday from 

 the Rev. Arthur Upcher, of Sherringham, a specimen of the Spanish sea-bream (Pa- 

 gellus erythrinus), caught off that place. Mr. Upcher states that the fishermen consi- 

 der it a very rare fish on this coast, and the present is the first instance of its occurrence 

 off the shores of Norfolk that has come under my notice. The length of this specimen 

 was 13f inches ; its greatest depth 4 inches, and its weight 1 lb. 5| ounces. The co- 

 lour (roseate and silvery) was brilliant when the fish was first caught. The stomach of 

 the fish was empty. — /. H. Gurney ; Easton, Norfolk, Nov. 14th, 1846. 



Large Sturgeon caught in the Usk. — As an accompaniment to the notice in the 

 ' Zoologist' (Zool. 1419) of the occurrence of the above species of fish in the tributary 

 rivers of the Severn, I forward you the following account of one caught in the Usk, 

 which falls into the estuary of the Severn, about five miles from Newport, in this 

 county. It was caught at Tredunnock, about six miles below the town of Usk, on the 

 night of the 12th of May, by two fishermen from Usk, (Thomas Davies and Zachary 

 Walters) in a salmon net, about one mile above the tideway in the river ; a short dis- 

 tance further up the river is so very shallow, as not to admit the use of a coracle, (Usk 

 lishmg-boat, made after the manner of the Ancient Britons, of wicker-work covered 

 with leather). It was eight feet, six inches in length, four feet in circumference, and 

 was one hundred and eighty-eight pounds in weight. With respect to its being caught 

 in our rivers, Dr. Fleming states ' British Animals,' p. 173, under " Accipenser sturio," 

 " This species is occasionally caught in the larger rivers by the salmon-nets, in the sum- 

 mer season, having left the sea for the purpose of spawning." N. B. Either there is 

 an error in the date assigned to the note in the' Zoologist' (Zool- 1419), April 22nd, 



