aierhe BRITISH ANGLER.P.II. 



CHAP. XL 

 Of the EEL, ^c. 



TH E Eel was in the highefl Efteem a- 

 mong the Romans^ who thought her the 

 Paragon of their Feafts-, and is univerfally al- 

 lowed, at this Day, to be a moft delicious 

 Fifh. There has been much Difpute about their 

 Breeding, many having denied them Gene- 

 ration, and afcribed their Origin to the Adiion 

 of the Sun upon the Mud, to the Putrefa6lion 

 of the Earth, and divers other Caufes. Thofe 

 that deny them to breed by Generation, de- 

 mand. If any Man ever faw an Eel to have a 

 Spawn or Melt ? They are thus anfwered, That 

 we may be as certain of their Breeding, as if 

 we had feen their Spawn : For Eels have all 

 Parts tit for Generation, like other Fifb, but 

 fo fmall as not to be eafily difcerned with the 

 naked Eye, by reafon of their Fatnefs ; but 

 that they may however be difcovered, and that 

 the He and S\\t Eel may be diftinguiihed by 

 their Fins. Some affirm that they have (Q^n 

 Eels cling together \\k(tDezv-wor7ns. 



There has been an Opinion, that Eels grow- 

 ing old, breed other Eels out of the Corrup- 

 tion of their own Age, which exceeds not ten 

 Years. And another, that as Pearls are made 

 of glutinous Dew-drops, which are con den fed 

 by the Sun's Heat in hot Countries ; fo Eels are 

 bred of a particular Dew failing in the Months 



of 



