76
NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
that for something." The toads were more gingerly touched, but neither man
would handle the efts ; they were left for the writer to remove.—I, Chalkley
Gould, Loughton, February, 1901.
PISCES.
New Records of Fish in Essex Rivers.—Mr. Edward Hesse, the
well-known Fish Taxidermist, who as an angler is acquainted with our Essex
rivers, has furnished some notes (dated March, 1901) which supplement the
lists given in Dr. Laver's Mammals, Reptiles, and Fishes of Essex.
Of the River Cam Dr. Laver remarked that he had been "unable to get
any list or specimens of the fish of the Essex portion of this river. This is
more to be regretted, as, in some parts of its course, it holds two species
apparently naturally absent from all the rest of our Essex rivers . . .
these two species are the Grayling, lately introduced into the Lea, and the
Spined Loach." Mr. Hesse records the following as occurring in the Cam
at Great Chesterford, Essex :—"Pike, Perch, Roach, Dace (very large
specimens, up to 1lb. 402.), Chub, Minnow, Loach, Miller's Thumb, and Eel.
I have not found Grayling, but the stream is quite suitable for the fish."
Of the River Blackwater he remarks:—"The Bronze Bream is very
plentiful in the Langford Hall Fishery, near Maldon, but is not found higher
up the river. It is also plentiful in the brackish water at Beeleigh Weir,
where the Chelmer joins the Blackwater."
Adding to Dr. Laver's 26 fishes of the Lea Mr. Hesse records the Bleak
for that river.
Of the Grayling in the Lea resulting from the introduction of fry in 1863,
and concerning which Dr Laver remarks "I have not heard of the capture of
any of them, but we must hope they are still doing well," Mr. Hesse says :—
"A few Grayling are to be found in the Mill Pool at Hertford; fish have
been caught, but they do not seem to increase.''
In the Roding (no list for which is given by Laver) he finds :—" Pike,
Perch, Chubb, Roach, Dace, Bleak, Rudd, Gudgeon, Minnow, Stickleback,
Ten-spined Stickleback, Miller's Thumb, Eel. The river may contain Carp
and Tench, but I have never seen or caught any. The Roding would be a
greater favourite with anglers if it was not poached so much by the country-
man."
Of the occurrence of the Barbel in Dagenham Lake, mentioned by Laver
(pp. 23 and 109) he remarks:—" This, I think, must be a mistake ; probably
a carp in poor condition was mistaken for barbel. I have never before heard
of Barbel being in the lake." It should be noted that in the list of fish given
in Mr. Hilliar's paper "An Angler's Notes on Dagenham Lake," in the
Essex Naturalist (vol. vi., p. 146) the Barbel is not mentioned.
ARACHNIDA.
Epping Forest Spiders.—The following additions should be made to
the lists of the spiders of the Forest in the Trans. Essex Field Club (iv. pp. 41-
49) and Essex Naturalist (vol. xi., pp. 315-318):—Amaurobius fenestralis,
Stroem, abundant in winter. Stemonyphantes lineatus, L., a few specimens.
Araneus triguttatus, , uncommon, Loughton. Euryopis inormata,Cb., a rare
species; several males on a heathy ridge near Loughton,—Frank P. Smith.