A HISTORY OF WARWICKSHIRE 



be it remembered, is connected with War- 

 wickshire, though only remotely, by some 

 Oxfordshire streams. 



1 7. White Bream. Abramis b/icca, Linn. 

 The writer has seen a few specimens of 



bream which were taken in the Avon which 

 he has no doubt were identical with the white 

 bream of the Trent. Although specimens 

 from that river have been examined there has 

 not been a direct comparison between them 

 and the ones taken in the Avon. 



1 8. Bleak. Allurnus luciclus, Heck. & Kner. 

 Common in most of the Warwickshire 



streams. Mr. G. S. Tye records its appear- 

 ance in the Earlswood reservoir between 

 Birmingham and Stratford-on-Avon, into 

 which it must have been introduced. 



1 9. Loach. Nemachilus karbatulus, Linn. 

 Very few streams are without this species, 



but it seems to prefer the smaller ones, in 

 which it may be found in plenty, often con- 

 cealing itself in mud, much as eels are known 

 to do, with its snout only visible. 



20. Spinous Loach. Colitis taema, Linn. 

 Known only to the writer as a Warwick- 

 shire fish by the following, which appears in 

 Yarrell's History of British Fishes : ' William 

 Thompson, Esq., has found it in Warwick- 

 shire.' 



MALACOPTERYGII 



21. Salmon. Salmo salar. Linn. 



' It has been taken from the eel traps in 

 the river Tame at Tamworth ' (G. Sherriff 

 Tye). 



22. Trout. Salmo _fario, Linn. 



Found in many of the streams and brooks 

 in the county. Very rare in the Avon, 

 though occurring sparingly in many of its 

 feeders. It occasionally works its way up 



very small brooks, and is taken so near their 

 source that they are mere rills. In Bourne 

 Brook, Fazeley, it has been taken as much as 

 7 Ib. in weight, and in the Thame of the 

 weight of 5^ Ib. The river Cole at Pucking- 

 ton is said to contain trout, as are also the 

 streams in Sutton Park. The same may be 

 said of the Stour, Arrow and Alne, as well 

 of streams within the limits of the county 

 which entering Oxfordshire become feeders 

 of the Thames. 



23. Grayling. Thymallus vexillifer, Linn. 



Of this fish, as occurring in the north of 

 the county, Mr. Tye says : ' Also was 1 7 ozs. 

 Bourne Brook, Fazeley.' 



APODES 



24. Eel. Anguilla vulgaris, Turt. 



Numerous in the Avon and its tributaries, 

 and indeed in rivers and pools in all parts of 

 the county. 



Without entering into the question of the 

 species of eels it may be well to record the 

 difference of habit of the so-called varieties 

 or species as observed in the principal stream 

 in the county, the Avon. 



Silver eels, so designated by the fishermen, 

 have sharp noses, small mouths, the upper 

 surface dark and the lower silvery white, the 

 line of demarcation being well defined. They 

 are caught in nets or at the weirs in the 

 autumn floods (locally termed ' freshes '), and 

 rarely if ever on lines, in wicker putchins 

 or in mud. 



Mud eels have broad heads, wide mouths, 

 yellowish olive backs, and more or less yellow 

 bellies, and all the colours are much blended. 

 They are caught in summer on lines or> in 

 wicker putchins, and are taken in winter 

 from mud by means of the eel spear. It is 

 very rarely that one is obtained with the silver 

 eels in the nets. 



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