EELS 



367 



whose average weight is a quarter of a pound. He is said to 

 have wonderful fins — to be all fins up to his head — and to have 

 a bigger mouth than the second glut. And they say, " If you 

 get a drop of grease out of him, it is worth a sovereign." 



5. Another variety of glut, which, they say, runs larger — to 

 two or three pounds — will take a hook, but is an extremely 

 dry fish. 



6. The grig, said to hang to the weeds, and seldom to 

 exceed half a pound in weight. 



7. A black eel, that does not run nor mud. 



8. Congers. Some aver that the conger is nothing but 

 the "run eel, who tarns ter conger when he get ter sea, and 

 don't come back no more." 



It is unwise to be a Philistine, and pooh ! pooh ! these simple 

 theories of simple minds ; for, as in the case of the beldame's 

 pharmacopoeia, there ma}^ be grains of gold in the quartz. 



But, judging merely from my own experience, I believe there 

 are two distinct varieties of fresh- water eels, and only two. 



1. The silver-bellied or sharp-nosed eel. 



2. The broad-nosed eel. 



And the points of difference I note between the two are — 



Sharp-nosed, or Silver-bellied Eel. 



{Aiiatojiiicaily different /roi7i the 



broad-nosed eel.) 



These migrate to sea in autumn. 



These spawn in lestuaries (?) 



More lively by nature. 



Far better taste. 



Keep deeper in water. 



Seldom " mud." 



Take hook greedily. 



Travel far. 



Run to six or seven pounds in size. 



" Turned up" by frost. 



Appear in waters in April after rain, 



and on a dark night, and run till 



January. 

 Caught by babbers. 

 Not often got in skim nets. 



Broad-nosed Eel. 



These do not " run." 

 Spawn in weeds in the broads (?). 

 More sluggish by nature. 

 Not good to eat. 



Fond of clinging to weeds near surfaee. 

 Always "mud" in September. 

 Do not often take hook. 

 Do not travel far. 

 Seldom exceed two pounds. 

 Not killed by frost. 

 Appear in waters in June, and feed 

 irregularly. 



Rarely caught by bab. 



Got by ' ' skimming " in August mostly. 



