60 



THE CONGER. ^ ., 



Malacopteri Apodes. Congerida. 



(Conger vulgaris. AnguUla conger.) 



German : Seeal. French : Congre. Danish ; Havaal. 



Italian: Grongo. 



Congers are eels which are found in Cornwall, Devon- 

 shire, Jersey, and Guernsey, in Ii-eland, and in parts 

 of France, washed hy the Gulf Stream. They are 

 also found in considerable numbers among the great 

 chalk rocks at the bottom of the sea in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Dover; probably also in the Channel, 

 right across to Boulogne, as I have seen some huge 

 congers in the Boulogne market. These were destined 

 for the Paris markets, where, no doubt, the French 

 cooks formed them into " stock" for all sorts of dishes. 

 The congers are very voracious fish. The power of 

 the jaws is tremendous. They will eat almost any kind 

 of fish, and are specially fond of crabs and lobsters. 

 In the " Sea Fisheries Keport, 1879," I have given 

 tables showing the food of sea fish. The various sub- 

 stances found in the stomachs of congers may be thus 

 enumerated — pilchards, dabs, soles, plaice, weevers, 

 mackerel, herrings, etc. The best bait to catch them is 

 cuttle-fish. When the cold frosty weather comes congers 

 retire into very deep water and there remain in a state 

 of semi-torpidity till the warm weather comes. The 

 best time for congers is from March to October. The 

 congers carry an enormous number of eggs. Mr. Jack- 

 son made out that his large conger contained between 

 fourteen and fifteen million eggs. What becomes of 

 this enormous number of eggs is unknown to mortal 

 man. They probably form the food of many small sea 

 creatm^es, especially crabs. The eggs of the conger are 

 exceedingly minute, and very like the eggs of the fresh- 



