CLASS PISCES. 103 



Order III. PHYSOSTOMI, Muller. 



Family SALMONID^, Muller. 

 Genus SALMO, Artedi. 



Salmo salar, Linn. SALMON. 



Although we have no river in this county that may be 

 called a Salmon-river, the fact that an occasional fish is taken 

 on our coast entitles us to speak of the Salmon as being still 

 truly a member of our Fish Fauna. In former years, before 

 the Thames was poisoned with sewage, it is well-known that 

 Salmon regularly ascended the river. Yarrell says {British 

 Fishes, vol. ii., p. 30) the last Thames salmon of which he 

 had a note was taken in June, 1833. A Salmon was taken 

 at Southend, and another in Leigh Bay in 1875 {Land and 

 Water, Sept. 25th, 1875, P- 2 4 T )- They occur now, however, 

 so rarely (and, as it were, so accidentally) that no fishery 

 for them is carried on. Farmer says {History of Waltham 

 Abbey, London, 1735, p. 3) that in his time the Lea afforded 

 plenty of fish, including "some salmon." Mr. Harting has 

 called attention (Essex Nat., vol. viii., p. 197) to records of 

 the capture of Salmon in the Lea in 1816, 1825, and 1833, 

 and a record of Salmon at Waltham Abbey in 1820 is 

 printed in the same magazine (vol. ix., p. 227). Another was 

 taken in the Crouch, near Battles Bridge (Land and Water, 

 December loth, 1870, p. 427). One was taken in the mouth 

 of the Blackwater in 1882 (Field, July 1st, 1865), and a few 

 are still caught annually in that river. 



Salmo trutta, Linn. SEA TROUT OR BULL TROUT. 

 This is occasionally taken on the coast Some few years 

 since, a fine specimen, weighing four and a half pounds, desig- 

 nated Salmo eriox, was captured by Mr. Marriage in the Colne, 

 on the shallows near East Mill, Colchester {Land and Water 

 March 3Oth, 1867, p. 235). The fish was identified by Buck- 



