A HISTORY OF RUTLAND from them, while the Gwash has mostly small jack of 2 or 3 lb. in it. The VVelland fish run up to 12 lb. or a little more, while larger fish of 22 or 23 lb. are found in the Burley and Exton ponds. OSTARIOPHYSI 8. Carp. Cypfinus carpio, Linn. Numerous in the Exton and Burley ponds and other pieces of water. Also found in the Oakham Canal, but not in the rivers. A small gold carp of i lb. was recently caught in the Gwash which had no doubt escaped from some pond. The carp in Burgess's Pond at Ridlington during a severe winter early in the nineteenth century were frozen into the ice, and several of about I lb. weight were to be seen in this position for three or four weeks. Carp, it is well known, are very tenacious of life. [Barbel. Barhus vulgaris, Flem. A few were turned into the Welland a year or two ago, but nothing has been seen of them since.] 9. Gudgeon. Gohio JiuviatUh, Flem. Plentiful in all the rivers, especially in the Gwash, Chater and Eye. The gudgeon of the last-named are exceptional in size as well as very abundant. In the Gwash they are to be found chiefly on their favourite gravel shallows, but they do not run to a great size, none exceeding 5 inches. 10. Roach. Leuchcus rutilus, Linn. The Welland is noted for the excellence of its roach fishing, and this species is the most abundant fish in that river. It rises well to the fly. There are many ot I lb. weight, and an exceptional one of 2^ lb. was caught a few years ago at Gretton Mill. They are plentiful in the Gwash in the deeper parts, and of good average size, some reaching i^ lb. The Eye brook has few, and those small. 11. Rudd. Leuciscus erythrophthalmus, Linn. Common in the Burley and Exton ponds and small private waters. They occur spar- ingly in the Welland, but some are always to be found in the Gwash along one field near Colly-Weston bridge. 12. Dace. Leuciscus vulgaris, Day. Common in the Eye, Chater and Gwash, and less abundant in the Welland. The in- troduction of grayling into the Gwash seems to have lessened their number in that river. They grow to an unusual size both there and in the Eye brook, specimens of 15 oz. having been caught in both rivers. A sub-species, the graining [L. lancastrien- sis, Yarrell), has also been caught on one or two occasions in the Welland. A variety {L. dobula) is found in the Eye brook. This was first discovered in that stream by Dr. GUnther, when staying at Uppingham in 1857. He caught the first specimen on 7 September of that year, and Mr. J. M. Burton caught others on 22 September and subsequently. Since then Mr. S. Haslam has caught one or two of this species, the latest specimen being obtained in 1 90 1. 13. Chub (Chevin). Leuciscus cephalus, Linn. Grows to a good size in all the rivers, up to about 2^ lb. in the Eye, to 3 lb. in the Gwash ; while in the Welland specimens have been taken of 4^ lb. about 1850, 5^ lb. at Barrowden (about 1890) and at Gretton Mill. Latterly they have become unaccount- ably scarce in the Gwash and Eye brook. 14. Minnow. Leuciscus phoxinus, lAnn. Very numerous in the Chater and Eye, and fairly so in the Gwash and Welland. I have caught them on a small trout fly, and a gravid fish was so taken on 30 May, 1895 ; also on a minnow almost as large as them- selves. 15- Tench. Tinea vulgaris, Cuv. The Burley and Exton ponds are well stocked with them, as many as sixty being caught in a bow-net at one time in the former. In the rivers they are very rare, though one of nearly 2 lb. was caught in the Eye brook near AUexton in 1890, and a second of i lb. in the same stream in 1 90 1. They are inquisitive fish and a good device for attracting them to the neighbourhood of a bait is to throw into the pond a bundle of bright flowers, such as the buttercup, weighted with a small stone. 16. Bream. Ahramis brama, Linn. Found in the larger ponds ; but there are very few in the Welland, where they run from I to 4 lb. The white bream [A. hlicca, Linn.) has been taken at Barrowden at least once. 17. Bleak. Jlburnus lueidus,'ilczi. zrdK.ncx. Common in the Welland, but apparently not found in the Gwash, Chater or Eye brook. 18. Loach. Nemachi/us barbatulus, h'mn. May be said to be fairly common in the Welland and in the Eye, especially near the 52
