A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 
but have not since been met with. A crucian carp was taken some 
years ago by Mr. F. Newbery in the eel trap at Milton Mill. 
From the following list it will be seen that there are only eighteen 
different forms of freshwater fishes which may be considered indigenous 
to the county, 
TELEOSTEANS 
ACANTHOPTERYGII 
1. Perch. Perca fluviatilis, Linn. 
Plentiful in the Ouse in all parts, especially 
near the places where the water lily abounds. 
It attains a weight of 4 lb. and upwards. 
One was taken at Willington in 1900 
weighing 2 lb. 10 oz.; one at Clapham in 
the same year of 3} lb.; one taken by Mr. 
P. Addington with an artificial minnow from 
under Tempsford Bridge weighing 4} lb.; 
and one was caught in Southill Lake a few 
years ago by my son weighing 44 lb. Three 
were taken by Mr. George at Tempsford 
about 1882 in the course of an hour, weigh- 
ing 2 lb., 24 Ib. and 24 lb.; and I took 
three at Clapham in 1899 in less than half 
an hour in one spot, each weighing close 
upon 2 |b. 
2. Ruff (commonly Pope). 
Linn. 
Locally, Joey Ruff. 
Usually found at the bottom of the river 
up to about 5 inches in length. 
3. Miller’s Thumb or Bullhead. Cottus gobio, 
Linn. 
Found under stones in the gravelly parts of 
the river and in small streams that are not 
sluggish. 
Acerina cernua, 
HEMIBRANCHII 
4. Three-spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus acu- 
leatus, Linn. 
Davis’s History of Luton. 
5. Ten-spined Stickleback. Gastrosteus pungi- 
tius, Linn. 
These are more frequently found in the 
various brooks and ponds rather than in the 
rivers. 
HAPLOMI 
6. Pike (commonly Jack). sox ductus, Linn. 
This fish is abundant in all parts of the 
Ouse and in various lakes in the county, and 
grows to a large size. The largest I have 
seen taken from the Ouse weighed 284 Ib., 
and was caught at Kempston many years ago 
by the late Mr. W. Bailey, surgeon, of Bed- 
ford. The head of a pike of 36 Ib. was in 
the possession of the late Mr. C. Palgrave of 
Bedford, and the fish was said to have been 
left on the meadows near Bedford after a 
heavy flood and there captured. One of 
214 lb. was taken at Clapham in the Ouse 
in 1893, and I took one in the Ouse at Oak- 
ley in February, 1878, a female fish measur- 
ing 40 inches in length and weighing 20 Ib. 
A pike of 30 lb., taken at Luton Hoo by 
H.R.H. the then Princess of Wales, now 
Queen Alexandra, is preserved in the ‘ fish 
house’ there ; also one taken by Mr. Forbes 
in 1875, length 474 inches, weight 36 lb. 
In August, 1894, there was an accidental 
influx of sewage from the sewage farm at 
Luton into the lake, which killed a great 
number of pike. There is a photograph 
showing about sixty pike killed at the time, 
all very large fish, About 500 in all were 
destroyed. 
At Southill Lake in June, 1897, when the 
lake was accidentally run off, a female pike 
464 inches long, and weighing 324 lb., and 
a male 45 inches long weighing 26 lb., were 
taken and presented to Mr. J. Steele-Elliott, 
who has them preserved. 
OSTARIOPHYSI 
7. Gudgeon. Gobio fluviatilis, Flem. 
Found in all parts of the shallow gravelly 
bed of the river up to about 5 inches in 
length. 
8. Chub. Leuciscus cephalus, Linn. 
Found commonly in the deep pools in the 
Ouse near the rapid parts of the stream, and 
weighing up to nearly 6 lb. One was taken 
by myself a few years ago at Milton Mill of 
54 lb., and one of 5} lb. taken at Blunham 
about 1882 is in the possession of Mr. George 
of Tempsford. They are frequently taken 
with the fly or minnow up to 3 and 4 lb. 
The chub appears to preserve its ‘ habitat ’ to 
a great extent, and keeps constantly to its 
selected parts of the river. 
g. Roach. Leuctscus rutilus, Linn. 
A very common and gregarious fish in all 
parts of the river. One 3 Ib. 6 0z., taken at 
Luton Hoo about 1891, and another 2 |b. 
10 0z., caught about the same time, are pre- 
T1090 
