Eel Pout, Numbers and Breeding Haunts. 133 



are found near the Chapman and down the Leigh middle and 

 towards the Jenkins.* 



But a great resort and breeding station, especially during 

 the winter season, is in the Hadleigh Ray ; whence in spring 

 they obtain from the Low- way to Southend Pier. So plentiful 

 are they in the Ray that it is recorded of one trawl-haul being 

 almost entirely composed of Eel Pouts (literally thousands), 

 the two smack hands with difficulty hoisting the net. In this 

 case they were all thrown back alive into the water. Indeed 

 this is the usual procedure, even if only single or few taken, for 

 the Leigh folks make no use of them. Yet their flesh is whole- 

 some, and elsewhere is used as foodf or as crab bait. All during 

 the summer small or medium sized fish are got in the Ray to a 

 limited extent. As autumn wanes and colder weather arrives 

 there appears to be an accession of large-sized breeders of both 

 sexes. This congregation lasts till spring advances, when the 

 old ones rapidly diminish in numbers, and seem to steer down 

 the estuary, or otherwise disperse until renewal of autumnal 

 meeting. 



We have examined many hundreds of them in all stages of 

 development, and for stomach contents, &c. ; but below need only 

 tersely summarize data of a few batches. The Eel Pout, unlike 

 other food fish (irrespective of some sharks), does not shed its 

 eggs, but instead retains them within the ovary where hatching 

 occurs, and in due course the young are born alive full formed. 

 Mr. Fitch (Essex Nat. V.) mentions finding on 8th November 

 in the Crouch river an Eel Pout 8^ inches long, containing 

 55 young, all lively, while they were very common in the 

 Blackwater in the middle of September. 



Those examined by us during summer were not advanced, 

 only having diminutive eggs present ; by October, however, the 

 case was different. At this date in one catch of 117 specimens 

 there were 71 females and 46 males. Among the females six 

 had only small eggs in the ovary, these being young fish ; whilst 



* Yarrell mentions Greenwich as a locality for Zoarce*. 

 t At one time sold regularly in Edinburgh (Parnell). 



