White Goby's Locality, Food; Drayonet. 137 



During May specimens of Aphia are still got above and 

 below Soutkend Pier-kead, but somewkat irregularly, and by 

 June tkey drop off at least from tke wkitebaiter's catck, vvko 

 no \v gets to skore witk drag-net. Meantime, and later in tke 

 season, it appears, according to Albert Bundock,* tkat tke 

 Wkite Gobies are found in skoals in tke Lower Hope Reack 

 to tke Tilbury marskes, or even beyond. He believes ke 

 kas seen tkem in spawning condition, and considers tkey 

 breed tkereabouts. Lower down tkey are lost for tkefpeason, 

 returning in early spring as above narrated. We kave 

 examined adults of botk sexes, as well as tkose of younger 

 age, and can corroborate muck tkat kas been advanced by 

 various writers, f Among otker tkings tkeir food in tke 

 Tkames is nearly tke same as in tke Norwegian waters, viz., 

 tke minute Copepods and otker crustacean larvae, early 

 stages of cockles, &c. We kave not seen tkeir eggs, but 

 Holt and Byrne describe tkem as of a fixed kind witk 

 tk read-like attacknient a compromise between tkose of goby 

 and bleniiy. 



The DRAGONET (Calliunymus lyra) in many ways is unlike 

 tke gobies, witk wkick, however, it is regarded as an ally, 

 tkougk classed in a different family ( = Callionymidtv). It 

 is a common fisk in our District, but particularly plentiful 

 in tke estuaries. Tkey are got by tke skrimpers and fisk 

 trawlers all over tke estuarine area. In tke winter not so 

 plentiful, but all during summer and autumn tkey are taken, 

 generally few at a time. In mid-Jane, 1899, on tke West 

 Oaze, one kaul particularly brougkt up a perfect skoal of 



* Previous to the Conservancy's Bye-Law, 1895, prohibiting stow -boating within 

 their limits, he regularly fished up stream. 



t Prof. Collett has made a special study of the White Goby obtained by him in the 

 Christiania Fjord (Forhandl. Videns. Selskab., 1872, and Proc. Zool. Soc.. 1878). In 

 November he once netted as many as 4,000 at a single haul. Two species hud pre- 

 viously been recognised, which he showed were only the male and female of one sort. 

 The males at the breeding season develop long teeth, and this, with other charac- 

 teristics, gave rise to their supposed separate identity. He reasons that the adults 

 die after breeding, and therefore accomplish their life in the course of a year. This 

 conclusion we have reason for doubting, but here need not dilate thereon. (J.M.) 



t Jour. Mar. Biol. Aseoc., 1898, Vol. V., p. 338. 



