Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/365

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ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM SURREY.
311

photographs taken by Mr. Herbert Bell (Mr. Theodore Bell's nephew), which indicate very clearly the circumstances of the breeding of this bird.

Common Guillemot (Uria troile).—Mr. W. Simmons, of Haslemere, informed Mr. F. Styan, in 1880, that his father had shot a specimen of this species on Sickle mill-pond, near Haslemere, in the year 1868, after a very severe storm (F. Styan and J. Mitchell).

Great Northern Diver (Colymbus glacialis).—In December of 1881, a specimen, weighing 8¼ lb., was caught with a rod and line at Virginia Water by the local fisherman, John Keene. The bird took a large Thames Dace which was being used as a live bait for Pike. It was landed after a forty minutes' struggle, and was sent on the following day to H.R.H. Prince Christian, by whom it is believed to have been preserved. Keene, its captor, wrote for Mr. Styan a lengthy account of the occurrence, which was incidentally mentioned in the 'Field' (December, 1881).

Great Crested Grebe (Podicipes cristatus).—Mr. A. Gillman informs me that in the 'sixties he noticed this species on Wimbledon Park pond (in lit.). During this winter one was seen on a lake not far from Milford (G. Dalgliesh, in lit.).

Storm-Petrel (Procellaria pelagica).—In October, 1852, one was shot at West End, Esher, and preserved by Mr. F. Yearley (F. Styan and J. Mitchell). Mr. Simmons informed Mr. Styan that one was picked up dead on a road near Haslemere in 1865 (F. Styan and J. Mitchell). Mr. Dalgliesh records a male, caught alive at a street-lamp on Dec. 28th, 1901, at St. Catherine's, Guildford ('Zoologist,' ante, p. 32).

In addition to the above short list, I have received some very interesting communications upon the occurrence in the county of some curious species of obviously artificial introduction, such as the Rock-Dove, Black Swan, and Reeves's Pheasant; and also a considerable number of notes of the occurrence of species, which I do not feel justified in including in this list, owing to the records sent me being records merely of observation. The former have undoubtedly occurred, but only in a semi-domesticated, or even domesticated state; the latter, such as the Snowy Owl, Bar-tailed Godwit, White's Thrush, Rock-Thrush, &c, are without doubt erroneous and unreliable observations.