INTRODUCTION. 23
Under the Lea, the largest tributary of the Thames
in our district, I shall include the Stort and its other
feeders. For this river, there are many authorities,
from Izaac Walton down to the later lists by Lieut.
R. B. Croft, R.N., published in the Transactions
of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society (August,
1882).
From the last-named authority, we learn that in
the Lea and its tributaries may be found a number of
species greater than that inhabiting any other river
in the county. It may be that its proximity to the
metropolis has induced enthusiastic anglers, with whom
it is a favourite hunting ground, to introduce species
not occurring naturally. In the paper quoted, four
species—the Barbel, Chubb, Ruff, and Bleak—are men-
tioned, which I have not taken in any other Essex
river. The Barbel is, however, to be found in the
lake at Dagenham, and the Chubb has lately been
introduced into the Blackwater.
Lieut. Croft, quoting from Chauncey's History of
Hertfordshire (1700) and also from Farmer's History
of Waltham Abbey (1735), mentions that the Salmon,
formerly abundant in this river, probably became
extinct there before the end of last century.* Under
these circumstances, this species must still be included
* The Salmon was, however, certainly taken in the River Lea well into the
present century (see p. 103).