A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



is said to exude for this purpose. 1 The parti- 

 cular nest just described resembled very greatly 

 a diminutive copy of the play-bowers of the 

 Australian bower-birds, but unlike them was 

 well roofed in above. 



The large short-spined stickleback (G. bra- 

 chycentrus, Cuv.), regarded by GUnther as a 

 separate species and by White and others 

 as a variety only of G. acultatus, has been 

 recorded from Stow Pool near Lichfield by 

 Thompson in his Natural History of Ireland. 

 In July, 1 836, Thompson obtained from Stow 

 Pool the largest example of this fish which 

 had come under his notice, and gives this 

 place as the only English habitat known to 

 him. Up to the present I have not met with 

 this fish myself in Staffordshire, but have taken 

 it in company with the common stickleback 

 in Leicestershire and have kept it in aquaria. 

 Unfortunately all my specimens proved to be 

 females, and as they were unprovided with 

 nests the ova were devoured by the other 

 sticklebacks as soon as deposited. There is 

 little doubt but for the solicitude bestowed 

 on the developing eggs and young fry by the 

 male fish the voracity of the stickleback would 

 long ago have led to its own annihilation. 



Amongst the many names by which the 

 common stickleback is known locally are 

 robin applied to the male in his breeding 

 dress, jack-sharp and jack-bannock. 



6. Ten-spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus pungi- 



tius, Linn. 



Generally distributed, but not so abundant 

 as the common stickleback. This is more 

 slender in form than the last-named and less 

 brilliantly coloured, being olive green on the 

 back and white on the sides and belly. The 

 fins and frequently the whole body are suf- 

 fused with a yellowish tinge. The under- 

 side is generally marked with little black 

 spots, which in the male predominate to 

 such a degree that it is not inaptly called 

 the ' tinker ' by boys. 



HAPLOMI 



7. Pike or Jack. Esox lucius, Linn. 

 Common and of large size. Several of 



20 Ib. weight have been taken near Burton, 

 and fish of 30 Ib. and over have been re- 

 corded from the Trent. 



OSTARIOPHYSI 



8. Carp. Cyprinw carpio, Linn. 



In the large pools and ponds of the county 



1 GUnther, quoting Coste, in Introduction to the 

 Study of Fishes (1880), p. 506. 



and in the Trent carp of 1 5 (Plot) and even 

 of 1 9^ Ib. have been recorded (Garner). 



9. Crucian Carp. Cyprinus carassius, Linn. 

 Naturalized in ponds in the county, as are 



also its varieties, the gold carp (C. auratus, 

 Linn.) and the Prussian carp (C. gibe/io, Bloch). 



10. Barbel. Barbus vu/garis, Fleming. 

 Common in the Trent and the lower part 



of the Dove, and attaining a large size. There 

 are several noted haunts of the barbel near 

 Burton, and when fhe water is clear the fish 

 may be seen rooting like swine in the mud 

 of the deep holes. 



11. Gudgeon. Goblo fluviatilis, Fleming. 



12. Roach. Leuciscus rutilus, Linn. 



In rivers and meres : very common. In 

 Aqualate Mere the hybrid between this fish 

 and the bream (Abramh brama. Linn.), known 

 as the Pomeranian bream (A. buggenhagii, 

 Bloch) exists, and an interesting account of its 

 capture there is given by the Rev. W. Hough- 

 ton in his British Freshwater Fishes. 



13. Chub. Leuciscus cepha/us, Linn. 



14. Dace. Leuciscus dobula y Linn. 



Day Leuciscus vulgaris. 



15. Rudd or Red-eye. Leuciscus erythrophthal- 



mus y Linn. 



1 6. Minnow. Leuciscus pboxinus, Linn. 

 Locally called ' pink,' from the bright tints 



it assumes in the breeding season. 



17. Tench. Tinea vulgaris, Cuv. 

 In pools and meres. 



1 8. Bream. Abramis brama. Linn. 



In rivers and meres. Up to 7 Ib. in 

 weight (Garner). 



19. White Bream or Bream Flat. Abramis 



b/icca, Bloch. 



This fish is included in the Staffordshire 

 lists on the authority of the late Mr. Edwin 

 Brown, who wrote : ' Bailey, the angler of 

 Nottingham, says this fish is mixed up with 

 the preceding in the Trent.' 



20. Bleak. Alburnus lucidus, Heck, et Kner. 



21. Loach. Nemachilus barbatu/us, Linn. 



22. Spined Loach. Cobitis taenia, Linn. 



This fish, generally considered somewhat 

 rare, is common in the Trent, but is fre- 

 quently confused with small individuals of 

 the last species. The presence of the small 



134 



