124 Sand- Eels ; Garfish, Migration. 



in plenty between the Grain Spit and the Blyth, mayhap in 

 diminished numbers on the Chapman side. The great bulk of 

 our examination have been obtained by the whitebaiters from 

 the Crowstone downwards on the Essex shore. Indeed, when of 

 smallish size they are not readily culled, and hence, at certain 

 seasons, go to market in profusion with the whitebait, as already 

 stated. In Kent they are eagerly sought for as bait, to be used 

 by the rod fishers from the piers. The Essex people do not seem 

 so partial to them for baiting purposes. The whitebaiters well 

 know what a dainty dish they make, though the trawlers chuck 

 them overboard whatever their size. 



The Garfish Family (Scombresocidce') . (1.) The GARFISH or 

 GARPIKE (Belone vulgaris) goes by quite a variety of names 

 in different localities ; but in the greater part of our District, 

 and particularly the Thames estuarine area, " Gorebill " or 

 "Gobble" is the familiar cognomen. They seem to come 

 round the coast in their breeding time in the summer months, 

 and to retire during the fall and winter. They ascend our 

 estuary about the middle of the whitebait season, that is May 

 to July, though generally most numerous in June. On the 

 Essex side they are moderately numerous, but are said to be 

 exceedingly abundant off Whitstable and Heriie Bay. They 

 appear to keep near the shore, and consequently are taken in 

 the drag-net, seldom or ever in the trawl or s tow-net. The adults 

 are taken either singly or in small family parties. Instance two 

 caught at a haul by a whitebaiter a little way below the Crow- 

 stone 2nd June, 1899 one, a male, 22, its mate, a female, 18J 

 inches long, both in breeding condition, and feeding on the 

 whitebait quite close in shore. They spawn in nooks amongst 

 the Zofitera beds, to which latter and other objects their eggs are 

 affixed. Buckland* tells of a wooden fishing weir near Herne Bay 

 where the owner used to catch an enormous quantity of gorebills. 

 He further says, " Upon this weir I have obtained some very 

 good specimens of the eggs and young of the gorebill ; the eggs 



* Rep. Sea Fisheries, 1879, Append. II. 



