FISHES 



In the twenty-sixth song of Michael Drayton's poem, the Poly- 

 olbion, published in 1622, reference is made to the fishes then known to 

 occur in the Trent near Nottingham. This enumeration constitutes, as 

 far as I can learn, the earliest record of Nottinghamshire fishes, and in spite 

 of the enormous growth of the city since Drayton wrote, and the pour- 

 ing into the river of large volumes of foul water from the numerous 

 dyeing, bleaching, tanning and other works, as well as the effluent from 

 the sewage farm, the fish fauna seems to have undergone comparatively 

 little change during the interval of 280 years since the publication of 

 the Polyolbion, and I am only able to add eight species to Drayton's 

 list, viz. the miller's thumb, three-spined and ten-spined sticklebacks, 

 burbot, rudd, white bream, spined loach and shad. 



TELEOSTEANS 



ACANTHOPTERYGII 



1. Perch. Perca fluv iatilis, Linn. 



Very common in all parts of the Trent 

 and attaining a large size, specimens weigh- 

 ing from 3 to 3^ Ib. being frequently taken. 



2. Ruffe. Acerlna cernua, Linn. 



One of the commonest fishes in the Trent. 



3. Miller's Thumb. Coitus gobio, Linn. 

 Common in the Trent and its tributary 



streams. 



ANACANTHINI 



4. Burbot. Lota vulgarly Cuv. 



This fish, the freshwater representative of 

 the cod family, occurs in the Trent, but not 

 commonly. A specimen taken at Wilford 

 weighed 4^ Ib. 



5. Flounder. Pleurone ctes fesus, Linn. 

 Common in the Trent below Newark, but 



occasionally makes its way higher up the 

 stream, even as far as Colwick Weir, close to 

 Nottingham. 



HEMIBRANCHII 



6. Three-spined Stickleback. Gasterosteus 



acu/eatus, Linn. 



Very common everywhere in rivers, streams 

 and ponds. 



7. Ten-spined Stickleback. Gasterosteus pun- 



gitius, Linn. 



Common in places, as in the streams and 

 ditches in the Nottingham and Lenton 

 meadows, but much less so than the last. 



HAPLOMI 



8. Pike. Esox /ucius, Linn. 



Common in rivers, canals and lakes every- 

 where. 



OSTARIOPHYSI 



9. Carp. Cyprinus carpio, Linn. 



Occurs, but is not common, in the Trent, 

 preferring ponds and still waters, in which 

 situations it is fairly common. 



10. Barbel. Barbus vu/garis, Flem. 

 Common in deep waters all along the 



course of the Trent, both above and below 

 Nottingham. Examples up to 10 Ib. in 

 weight are frequently taken, and one brought 

 to me a few years ago scaled loj Ib. 



11. Gudgeon. Gobio fluviatilis^ Flem. 

 Common. 



12. Roach. Leuciscus ruti/us, Linn. 

 Abundant in rivers and canals. The finest 



Nottingham specimen I have handled weighed 

 i Ib. io oz. 



152 



