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 tliem 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 w^ith 

 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 ofl^, in being exposed to the irresistible at- 

 tacks of the eel's teeth. 



