92 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



Trachinus vipera, Cuv. VIPER WEEVER. 

 This is also taken in the eel-trawls in the same situations 

 as the last, and, like it, is very free in using its formidable 



spine. 



Family SCOMBRID^, Cuv. 



Genus SCOMBER, Artedi. 



Scomber scomber, Linn. MACKAREL or MACKEREL. 

 Dale says (Hist, of Harwich, 1732, p. 429): "These in their 

 season are here to be caught." Lindsey says (A Season at 

 Harwich, London, 1851, pt. ii., p. 83) that, on June 3Oth, 1821, 

 enormous numbers were caught on the Suffolk coasts. They 

 were of the estimated value of ; 14,000, sixteen Lowestoft 

 boats alone obtaining a haul of the value of ,5,252. Day 

 says (Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1880-1884, 

 vol. i., p. 90) their habitat extends from the south coasts to 

 those of Suffolk and Norfolk, therefore the Essex coast must 

 be included. I have not myself seen any specimens taken off 

 the coast of Essex. 



Genus ORCYNUS, Liitken. , 



Orcynus thynnus, Liitken. COMMON TUNNY. 

 Jenyns (British Vertebrate Animals, p. 363) calls it rare; 

 and, quoting Donovan, he states that three were captured 

 in the mouth of the Thames in 1801, and brought to Billings- 

 gate market. 



Family STROMATEID^, Swainson. 

 Genus CENTROLOPHUS, Lacepede. 



Centrolophus pompilus, Cuv. BLACK FISH. 

 I had the pleasure of sending a specimen of this rare fish 

 to Dr. Giinther for the British Museum. It was captured in the 

 Colne, and was described by that eminent naturalist (A nn. and 

 Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. ix., 1882, pp. 204 and 338 ; also in Zool., 

 1882, pp. 75 and 152). 



