Lampern Eel or River Lamprey. 171 



examples of the River Lamprey, are there frequently taken 

 in the drag-net. 



(2) This latter, best known as the LAMPERN EEL (P.fluma- 

 tilis) among the Leighmen, or sometimes as the Silver Lam- 

 prey, is a common fish, though hereabout there is no Lampern 

 fishery, and those accidentally caught are seldom landed. They 

 are most frequently procured by the whitebaiters, presumably 

 in their spring migration up river ; for instance, among several 

 got in 1899, one, a female not fully ripe, measured 13J inches 

 long; others a quarter that length the succeeding spring. 

 But they are also taken later in the year, for example one 

 caught in the stow-net by B. Bundock on 7th December, 1900, 

 had a length of 14| inches, weighing 3J ounces. The ovary 

 was in a " pinky " stage of development, its food doubtful. 

 Others about the same date were 12 and 13 inches long. Even 

 bigger ones of both sexes got near Southend Pier, which were 

 supposed by the fishermen to be in full breeding condition ? 

 Mr. Fitch says they are often seen in the Chelmer above 

 Beeleigh Mill, after floods. 



In the Thames they are found much more numerous higher 

 up the river, and formerly there was quite a prosperous Lampern 

 fishery to the west of London. Lampreys from the Thames 

 and elsewhere are a prized bait of the Grimsby and other 

 North Sea line fishers. Pennant (Brit. Zool. 1812) states that 

 100,000 had been sent to Harwich as bait for the cod-fishing, at 

 that period in its zenith there. Yarrell considerably later 

 (1841) mentions that "formerly the Thames alone supplied 

 from half a million to twelve hundred thousand Lamperns 

 annually." In the evidence before the Parliamentary Com- 

 mittee on Fresh Water Fish, 1878, reference is given of an 

 individual securing 130,000 Lamperns in the upper Thames 

 during one winter. In a single season a party received 400 ; 

 and as much as 4,000 credited for annual numbers sold 

 generally the Dutch being the chief customers, using them 

 for turbot bait, &c. In 1881-82 the Thames Lamperns were 



