242 A P O D E s . 



Eel fisheries are conducted on a surprising scale 

 in some parts of Europe. In the Baltic, such vast 

 numbers are taken, that they are salted for expor- 

 tation. Two thousand have been caught in Jut- 

 land at one sweep of the net. Sixty thousand 

 are said to have been collected from the Garonne, 

 with one net, in a single day. With us, they are 

 usually taken with a spear, or in an eel-pot, con- 

 structed something like a rat-trap. Being well 

 baited with garbage, the eel squeezes through 

 the door, but cannot return again. In this man- 

 ner, bushels may be secured in a night. 



It is not uncommon to have them take the hook, 

 though few are thus caught. Usually, they are 

 sold in the market, and neighboring towns, fresh, 

 for immediate consumption. 



While in a state of infancy, the dog-fish de- 

 stroys immense numbers ; even the skate, which 

 is truly voracious, seems to form an alliance with 

 the dull, anchorite lobster, for the mutual purpose 

 of destroying the young fry of their worst enemy. 

 This strongly borders on a spirit of revenge. As 

 soon as the eel is fully grown, it seems to search 

 instinctively and unremittingly for young skates, 

 often not larger than a cent, and very gelatinous. 

 The lobster, however, even in adult age, is par- 

 ticularly unfortunate once a year, when its shell 

 comes off, in being exposed to the irresistible at- 

 tacks of the eel's teeth. 



