A HISTORY OF ESSEX 





109. Conger. Conger vulgaris, Cuv. 



Taken occasionally. One of 40 Ib. weight 

 is recorded (Essex Standard, Jan. 31, 1885) as 

 having been picked up on the beach at Clacton- 

 on-Sea. Day, quoting Donovan, says (Fishes 



of Great Britain, ii. 253) one of 130 Ib. weight 

 was captured at the Nore. 



In the Zoologist (1869, p. 1520) a record is 

 given of several which were caught in the 

 Thames as high as Woolwich. 



GANOIDS 



HO. Sturgeon. Aclpenser sturio, Linn. 



Is occasionally taken in all our rivers, but 

 it is rare. When captured in the Thames, 

 within the jurisdiction of the City of London, 

 it is usually judged a proper present for the 

 Lord Mayor's table. 



The capture of a sturgeon, weighing 

 131 Ib., in the Blackwater river near 

 Beeleigh Mills, Maldon, is noted as a re- 



markable circumstance (Donovan, British 

 Fishes, vol. iii. pi. Ixv.). 



Mr. E. A. Fitch records the capture of two 

 very large sturgeons in the Blackwater on 

 May 9, 1886, and May 15, 1890. The 

 latter, which weighed 212 Ib. and measured 

 7 feet 1 1 inches in length, went eventually to 

 Sweetings in Cheapside (Ettae Naturalist, iv. 

 1 20). Others are mentioned (Zoologist, 1879, 

 p. 383; 1883, p. 341). 



CHONDROPTERYGIANS 



in. Toper or Sweet William. Galeus vul- 

 garis, Flem. 



This shark is but rarely taken on our coast. 

 One caught by trawling in the Wallet on 

 October 23, 1886, was thought by its captor 

 of sufficient rarity to make it worth exhibit- 

 ing in the town of Colchester. The capture 

 of one below Brightlingsea, 4 ft. 9 in. long, 

 in a shrimp trawl, and another, 5 ft. 6 in. 

 long, at Clacton are noted in the Essex 

 Naturalist, ii. 137, 236. These were both 

 females. 



112. Porbeagle. Lamna cornubica, 



Gmel. 



A specimen of this shark was captured near 

 the coast in 1874. It measured 8 ft. 2 in. 

 long (Land and Water, 1874^.285). Another 

 captured off Harwich measured nearly 10 ft. 

 in length (Essex Naturalist, vi. 154). Several 

 others have been taken since. 



113. Picked Dogfish. Acanthias vulgaris, 



Risso. 



This voracious fish is always much too 

 common, and in some years especially so, 

 on all our coasts. 



114. Angel or Monk-fish. Rhina squatina, 



Linn. 

 Frequent on all the coasts of Essex. 



115. Skate. Raia bails, Linn. 



Very common on all our sandy shores. 

 The small ones are called maids. 



1 1 6. Thornback. Raia clavata, Linn. 

 This is also very common. 



117. Sharp-nosed Skate. Raia alba, Lacp. 

 Lindsey says (A Season at Harwich, pt. 2, 



p. 98) the French, who are great con- 

 sumers of skate, this species being their 

 favourite, would come to Harwich for this 

 fish if greater encouragenjent were given to 

 the fishery. As it is they go to Plymouth 

 and purchase large quantities during the sea- 

 son of Lent. 



1 1 8. Sting Ray. Trygon pastinaca, Linn. 



It is frequently taken in the channels 

 between the sands if one may judge from 

 the number of needles made from the spines 

 upon its tail that are to be seen in the posses- 

 sion of fishermen, who use them for stringing 

 flat fish together through the gills for the 

 convenience of carriage. 



CYCLOSTOMES 



** 119. Sea Lamprey. Petromyzon marinus, 



Linn. 



This is captured occasionally in the mouths 

 of all our rivers. In Essex Naturalist, v. 



134 is recorded the capture of two in the 

 Colne. Day (Fishes of Great Britain, ii. 

 358) gives for their habitat the mouth of 

 the Thames. 



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