160 The Tope and Smooth Hound. 



the trawl perchance brings one up now and again, more often 

 small-sized specimens. 



Thus we find them in the Crouch mouth, the entrances 

 of the Blackwater and Colne, and up the Thames to about 

 Southend Pier. One 16 inches long a shrimper netted in 

 the Leigh Roads, 12th September, 1898 ; it had a belly-full 

 of crabs. Such another was taken in the Crouch, July, 1890 ; 

 shrimps and crabs being also its diet. About 1847 a 9 feet 

 long specimen was caught in Mayland Creek, Blackwater, 

 which fetched only 3s. 6d. The brothers Wright secured one 

 off Stansgate, 3rd June, 1898 ; it was 4 feet 10 inches long, 

 and weighed 84 Ib. Still another was taken by them only 

 1 inch shorter on 20th August, 1898. (Fitch.) On 23rd 

 October, 1886, a large one was taken by a trawler in the 

 Wallet, and thereafter exhibited at Colchester. (Laver.) A 

 female 4 feet 9 inches long was captured in the Colne mouth, 

 near Brightlingsea, August, 1888, and another female 5J feet 

 near Clacton Pier, 1st November, 1888. At irregular intervals 

 small ones from 1 to 3 feet long turn up in the neighbourhood 

 of the Gunfleefc and E. Swin. The fishermen are well aware 

 of its producing young alive. It is not usually eaten as food 

 among the estuarine populace ; but a small one caught by a 

 Leigh trawler just before the August Bank Holiday, 1899, we 

 traced to a fried fish shop in the outskirts of Southend. 



(5) The SMOOTH HOUND (Mustelus vulgaris) or Skate- toothed 

 Dogfish bears considerable resemblance to the Tope ; differing 

 however in relative position of the fins and in dentition. The 

 teeth are flat, forming a tesselated plate, as in the skate. It is 

 a ground feeder, like the Tope, and consumes Crustacea and 

 shell-fish, to Avhich the rasping nature of the teeth peculiarly 

 fit it. It is chiefly found in the Channel and Kent coast ; we 

 have but seldom met with it in the Thames estuarine area, and 

 then only of small size. Full-sized, it reaches a length of 4 or 

 5 feet ; so far as we are aware, not used as food in our 

 District. It brings forth its young alive. 



