NOTES ON THE MITES (ACARI) OF ESSEX 61
Soleidae
Solea solea (Linne) Sole
Mostly common in the early summer. Sometimes abundant
and at other times nearly absent. Widely distributed; from
Thirslet to the Mouth of the Blackwater and offshore.
Often carry the small parasitic leech Hemibdella solea attached
to the scales.
Order Xenopterygii
Gobiesocidae
Lepadogaster bimaculatus (Bonnaterre) Two-spotted Sucker
One caught in the mouth of the Colne in 1903 (Essex
Naturalist).
Class MAMMALIA
Order Carnivora
Sub-Order Pinnipedia
Phocidae
Phoca vitulina Linne Common Seal
Frequently seen in the Blackwater, especially during the
winter. There is a resident population on the hills of the Buxey
Sand.
Order Cetacea
Sub-Order Odontoceti
Super Family Delphinoidea
Phocaenidae
Phocaena phocaena (Linne) Common Porpoise
Occasional records of individuals or small groups throughout
the year. Feeding on cuttle fish in the Blackwater in April 1961.
Sub-Order Mysticeti
Whales have been seen or have become stranded on shores in
the area from time to time. A rorqual, Balaenoptera sp., was
stranded in 1962.
Notes on the Mites (Acari) of Essex
By Donald I. Chapman
In the course of studies on the Hymenoptera and mammals of
Essex, a collection of mites (Acari) has been assembled. Since so
little is known about the distribution of these invertebrates in
Essex, it was felt to be worthwhile putting this information in a
more permanent form. The only recent Essex records of this
order are those of Jones (1959) and Stebbing (1965a). The record
of Stebbing is unreliable since he himself admits that his identifica-
tion may be wrong (Stebbing, 1965b).