FISHES 



MALACOPTERYGII 



** 96. Salmon. Salmo salar, Linn. 



Although salmon have disappeared from all 

 our Essex rivers, they are still taken in nets 

 on various portions of the coast and in the 

 mouths of most of the rivers. And few 

 years pass without several being taken in the 

 ' keddles ' on the sands of Foulness. Com- 

 mon as they were in years gone by in the 

 Thames it seems hopeless to expect them 

 ever again to ascend that river to their old 

 ' redds.' 



**97. Sea Trout. Salmo trutta, Linn. 



The same statements may be made with 

 reference to this fish as the last. They are 

 occasionally caught in the mouths of the rivers 

 and in the Foulness ' keddles,' and would no 

 doubt pass on to the fresh waters of several 

 of our streams were it not for obstacles or 

 impurities rendering such a proceeding im- 

 possible. 



"98. Brown Trout. So/mo fario, Linn. 



Common as this fish is all over Britain it 

 is rare in Essex, and excepting in the Lea it 

 only occurs in our streams as the result of 

 artificial stocking. And generally speaking 

 it may be said that wherever introduced it 

 has done well. 



In the Roding it was introduced about 

 1 88 1 by Mr. Rodwell, and in the Roman 

 river, a feeder of the Colne, by the Rev. Mr. 

 Marsh about 1860. Since this time it has 

 been introduced into the Chelmer, Black- 

 water and Stour. 



*99- Grayling. Thymallus vexiilifer, Linn. 



This is said to occur in the Cam, and 

 therefore is possibly an inhabitant of that 

 part of this river which rises in and flows 

 through Essex. Day says (Fishes of Great 

 Britain, ii. 135) a large batch of fry were 

 placed in the Lea in 1863. 



** 100. Smelt. Osmerus eper Janus, Linn. 



Considerable numbers of this delicious fish 

 are caught in all our rivers when they come 

 up to spawn. They appear to be generally 

 abundant up to the tide limit, and where it 

 is possible for them to get still higher they 

 are also frequent, but are only fished for in 

 the mouths of the rivers. 



**IOI. Houting. Coregonus oxyrhynchus, 



Linn. 



Of this apparently rare British fish I saw 

 in 1886 several examples which had been 

 captured in the smelt nets in the Colne. 

 And as it is frequently seen in boxes of 



Dutch smelts it is probably much more 

 common in Holland than in this country. 

 This is rather strange when we consider the 

 nearness of the Dutch coast. 



O2. Anchovy. Engraulis encrasicholus, Linn. 

 Day (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 207) gives 



instances of the capture of this fish on the 

 Essex coast, and Yarrell (i. 153) says : 'It is 

 reported to be at this time an inhabitant of 

 the piece of water below Blackwall called 

 Dagenham Breach. 



103. Herring. Clupea harengus, Linn. 

 This occurs commonly all round the coast, 



but there is no special fishery for it, although 

 a few are still taken in drift nets in the 

 estuary of the Blackwater. 



104. Pilchard. Clupea pilcbardus, Linn. 



Is occasionally taken on the coast. Dale 

 gives it in his list of Harwich fish, and says 

 (Hist, of Harwich, p. 432) : ' It is rare, but 

 is occasionally brought among herrings to 

 market.' Day says (Fishes of Great Britain, 

 ii. 230) Yarrell obtained one in May, 1838, 

 from the mouth of the Thames. 



105. Sprat. Clupea sprattus, Linn. 

 Enormous numbers of this fish are taken 



off" our coast by the stow-boat fishermen, and 

 used for manure, besides those sent to market 

 in London and the northern towns for food. 



Unfortunately for our fishermen they have 

 been comparatively scarce for the last two or 

 three seasons, apparently having changed their 

 habitat, and are now found in all parts of the 

 English Channel as far west as Cornwall. 



**IO6. Allis Shad. Clupea alosa, Linn. 



Rare. Day (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 

 236), quoting Yarrell, mentions one being 

 taken in the Thames above Putney in 1831. 

 Jenyns describes it (Brit. Pert. Animals, p. 438) 

 as 'occasionally, though rarely, taken in the 

 Thames.' 



** 107. Twait Shad. Clupea finta, Cuv. 



This is occasionally common in the Colne. 

 Many were taken by the smelt fishermen in 

 August, 1 886, and one was caught on Novem- 

 ber 29, 1886, at East Bridge, Colchester, 

 which point is the tide limit. Jenyns says 

 (Brit. ytrt. Animals, p. 438) it is very 

 abundant in the Thames. 



APODES 



** 1 08. Eel. /fnguilla vu/garis, Turton. 



Very common in streams and ponds every- 

 where. 



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