2620 Cetacea.— Birds. 



conclusion. I adopted, however, another mode of settling the matter: I placed steel 

 traps in the burrows, and I had soon the satisfaction of catching therein several fine 

 specimens of the common brown rat. Although the water still abounds with water 

 voles, I have found no more heaps of broken shells. I should be glad if any of your 

 numerous correspondents would inform me how the common rat breaks the shell and 

 extracts the mussel. — Oswald Mosley ; Rolleston Hall, October 6, 1849. 



Capture of a Firmer Whale in the Thames. — No trifling curiosity has been created 

 at Grays, Essex, and in the adjoining river-side parishes, by the remarkable capture 

 of a fine whale, in the Thames, off that village. In the course of Tuesday afternoon, 

 October 9th, several labourers in the employ of Messrs. Meeson, the lime merchants, 

 had their attention drawn to something dark floating on the river, which appeared to 

 be a vessel bottom upwards. It was noticed to be floundering about for a short time, 

 when suddenly the violent plunging and dashing of one end of it intimated to the 

 men that it was some living monster of the deep. The tide was low at the time, and 

 a brief inspection of the animal convinced them that it was no other than a whale, 

 and that it was hard and fast ashore on the Black Shelf, a shoal running abreast of 

 Grays. Boats were immediately put off, with a view of making secure the prize, 

 which continued to lash its tail with much violence as the water left it more fast, if 

 possible, on the shoal. The difficulty experienced in securing it may be imagined 

 from the fact that it measured no less than 58 feet in length and 30 in girth. After 

 some trouble, the monster was fixed by the aid of ropes and other means, and as the 

 tide flowed, arrangements were made to haul it ashore. The water at length 

 floated it, when the creature made desperate efforts to obtain its freedom. The ropes, 

 however, held it, and, during a scene of great excitement, it was dragged on to the 

 beach, and secured against the possibility of getting away. By the aid of a sword 

 its life was dispatched, and the men then set about inclosing it for exhibition at 6d. a 

 head, and it has thus remained until the stench has become so bad as to render its 

 removal necessary. — E. N. 



Occurrence of the Osprey, Pied Flycatcher and Reed Wren at Scilly. — Examples of 

 the above species have been procured, during the past week, from the Scilly Isles ; 

 and the circumstance deserves notice as regards the last two species, because they 

 have hitherto been unknown to our Fauna. The pied flycatcher appears to be a young 

 bird of the year, and is a very rare bird in our western counties. The reed wren 

 (Salicaria arundinacea) has never fallen under my notice before, although its conge- 

 ners, S. Phragmitis and S. Locustella, are well known throughout the county. We 

 have had a severe easterly gale, and I have no doubt these little birds were driven 

 from their migratory southern course by its violence. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Pen- 

 zance, September 29, 1849. 



Occurrence of the Woodchat (Lanius rufus) at Scilly. — In addition to the migratory 

 birds which I have reported as having occurred at Scilly during the past fortnight, I 

 am enabled now to add the capture of a valuable and rare British bird on those 



