CONGER. 



est ; both jaws furnished with strong teeth, forming a broad 

 band in each : the lips fleshy : the nostrils double ; the most 

 anterior near the edge of the lip, and tubular ; the other a 

 simple orifice : numerous mucous pores about the parts of 

 the mouth and head : the mouth deeply divided, making the 

 gape long ; the angle forming a tangent with the posterior 

 edge of the pupil : the eyes large ; body nearly cylindrical ; 

 dorsal fin commencing immediately behind the pectorals, ex- 

 tending along four-fifths of the whole length of the body ; 

 anal fin commencing immediately behind the vent, and ex- 

 tending along three-fifths of the whole, and joining the dor- 

 sal fin, forms a pointed tail. 



The colour of the upper surface of the body is a uniform 

 pale brown, becoming lighter on the lower part of the sides, 

 and passing into dull white underneath ; the dorsal and anal 

 fins whitish, edged with black ; lateral line almost white ; but 

 the colour varies, depending on the situation from which the 

 Conger has been taken. 



The notion entertained by some, that river Eels on going 

 to the sea remain there and become Congers, scarcely requires 

 a serious remark. No one who looks for specific distinctions 

 can fail to observe them when comparing either of our fresh- 

 water Eels with the Conger. These differences, which extend 

 to colour, form of body, and situation of fins, receive further 

 confirmation on examining their internal structure : indepen- 

 dent of comparative difference of relative position in some of 

 the most important of the viscera, the greatest number of 

 vertebra) found in our fresh- water Eels is 116, those of the 

 Conger amount to 156. 



In the beginning of February of the present year, 1841, 

 large quantities of the Sharp-nosed Eel were killed by frost in 

 the river Logan at Belfast, in the Bay at Dundalk, and also 

 in the Lee below Cork : the last were Conger Eels. A 

 similar occurrence took place in January 181-1. Sec Annals 

 of Nat. Hist. vol. vii. pp. 75 and 236. 



