106 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



brood after brood of young swans, a proof that here also it 

 grows to a formidable size. Mr. Alfred Jardine captured one 

 weighing 3olbs., on 22nd November, 1896, at Dagenham 

 (Badminton Mag. y 1897, p. 628). 



Family SCOMBRESOCID^, Day. 



Genus BE LONE, Cuv. 



Belone vulgaris, Fleming. GAR-FISH. Locally, GOREBILL. 



Large numbers of this are taken at certain seasons round 

 the coast, and they 'meet with a ready sale in London. Their 

 peculiar green bones have not a tempting appearance, and I 

 have no doubt prevent their being so generally appreciated as 

 otherwise they would be. 



Family SILURID/E, Gunth. 

 Genus SlLURUS, Linn. 



Silurus glanis, Linn. SHEAT FISH, OR WELS. 



The following note, from the pen of Dr. Giinther (Field, 

 September 8th, 1894, p. 411), relates the capture of one of this 

 species in Essex waters : 



" SIR, Some thirty years ago, in the time of the Society of 

 Acclimatisation, the proposal to introduce into Great Britain the 

 Silurus or Wels of Central Europe was discussed in The Field. 



The suggestion did not meet with general approbation. The 

 fish was described as an ugly-looking brute, a sort of fresh water 

 shark, lurking among the bottom weeds, destroying a vast quantity 

 of fish, and affording no sport When it became known, on the 

 authority of an ancient chronicler, that the remains of a boy had 

 once been taken from the stomach of a Wels, the report was conclu- 

 sive as to the extreme undesirability of such an addition to the 

 British fauna. 



Perhaps it is just as well for the peace of mind of those who hold 

 pessimistic views on the character of the Silurus, that they lived in 

 ignorance of the fact that, all this time, individuals of this 



