FISHES under a great disadvantage, since there are but few Essex records to consult and there are unfortunately no early lists for the county, the only exception being that in Dale's History of Harwich and Dovercourt, published in 1732, which has been used by later writers who have copied from it without making any additions of value. The few records in Yarrell, Day and Donovan, and the occasional notes in the Zoologist, The Field and Land and Water, comprise all, or nearly all, the material that the compiler has been able to procure to assist him in making the following list. He has therefore had but little to add to the notes and records which he had put together from his own knowledge and observation. Free use has been made of the information contained in the list which he had previously compiled and which appeared in one of the special volumes issued by the Essex Field Club, but he has added, so far as his information enables him to do so, all those species which are known to have been captured since the publication of this volume. In the following list an asterisk (*) is placed opposite the names of those species which are found only in freshwater, and two asterisks (**) against those that may be found in both fresh water and salt. TELEOSTEANS ACANTHOPTERYGII
- i. Perch. Ptrca ftuviatilis, Linn.
Occurs commonly in all the rivers of the county. One weighing 4 Ib. is reported from Dagenham Lake (Field, October, 29, 1881). 2. Ruff or Pope. Acerina cernua, Linn. Lieutenant Croft in a paper (Tram. Herts Nat. Hht. Soc. 1881) says this species is an inhabitant of the river Lea, but it appears to be absent from all the other Essex rivers, un- less there may be some in that portion of the Cam which is within the Essex boundary.
- 3. Sea Bass. Morone labrax, Linn.
Taken occasionally in all the Essex estu- aries. 4. Ballan Wrasse. Labrus maculatus, Bloch. Very rare ; three specimens only recorded ; muddy and sandy shores do not suit the habits of this family. 5. Baillon's Wrasse. Crenilabrui melops, Linn. Specimens from the Thames estuary have been presented to the British Museum by Dr. J. Murie, as I am informed by Mr. Boulenger.
- 6. Miller's Thumb. Coitus gobio, Linn.
Occurs plentifully in all our streams, espe- cially those with a gravelly bottom. 7. Greenland Bullhead. Coitus grtenlandicus, Cuv. & Val. Dr. Day confirmed Mr. J. T. Carrington's identification of several specimens of this fish which had been captured in the whitebait nets in the Thames (Zool. 1880, p. 147). They have never been seen to approach the size they are said to attain in Greenland. 8. Father-lasher, Bullhead. Cottus scorpius, Linn. Very frequent all round the coast. C. grtenlandicus is considered by many to be a variety of this species. 9. Bubal is. Cottus bubalis, Euphr. Another very common species. The local name for all these three species is Bullhead. 10. Four-horned Cottus. Cottus q uadricornit, Linn. This is very rare, but Leonard Jenyns says (British Vertebrate Animals, 1835, p. 346) some specimens in the British Museum were found among sprats taken at the mouth of the Thames. 11. Grey Gurnard. Trig/a gurnardus, Linn. Caught sometimes during September in some numbers. In Dale's History of Harwich, p. 431, under grey gurnard, is the following statement : ' This I have seen caught in the sea before this (i.e. Harwich) harbour.' 221
