THK EEL. d? 



and lay one on the other the grassy side inwards, 

 and thus expose them to the lieat of the sun, in 

 a few hours there will sprin^- from them an in- 

 finite quantity of eels. The duetrine of sponta- 

 neous or equivocal generation is now universally 

 exploded ; and all the phenomena that ^eem to 

 support it are accounted for on other principles. 

 These conjectures are therefore all nonsense ; for 

 the immediate generation of Eels, has been suf- 

 ficiently proved to be effected in the ordinary 

 course of nature, and that they are vi vaporous. 

 Eels are distinguished into four kinds, viz. the 

 silver eel: a greenish ed, called a grey: a blackish 

 eely with a broad flat head; and lastly an eel, with 

 reddish fins. The eel's haunis are chiefly amongst 

 weeds, under roots and stumps of trees, holes, and 

 clefts in the earth botli in the banks and at bottom, 

 and in the plain mud; where they lie with 

 only their heads out, watching for prey: also 

 about flood-gates, wears, bridges, and old mills, 

 and in the still waters that are foul and muddy; 

 but the smallest eels are to be met with in all 

 sorts of rivers and soils. They conceal them- 

 selves in the winter for six months in the mud,, 

 and they seldom rove about in the summer in the 

 daytime, butallnightlong;at which iimeyoumay 

 take a great number of them, by laying in night- 

 lines, fastened here and there to banks, stumps of 

 trees, Sec. of a proper lengtli for the depth of tlve 

 water, leaded so as to lie on the ground, and a 

 proper eel-hook whipped on each, baited with 

 the following baits, which he delights in, viz. 

 garden-uorms or lobs, mimioTCi), lieiis-gut^, Jish 

 garlj(ig€y loacheSf small gudgeons, or millers 

 thumhs, also small roaches, th^' hook being laid 

 in their mouths. There are two w^ays to take 

 them in the day-time, called sniggling and 

 bobbing. Sniggling h thus performed ; take a 



