228 CONGER OR SEA EEL. 



So tenacious are they of life, that they will continue to 

 move even after they are cut in pieces. 



Common Eel. In their general external form and ap- 

 pearance, Eels are nearly allied to the serpents, but in 

 their internal structure they are essentially different. They 

 have been known to grow to the length of six feet, and 

 to the weight of twenty pounds. In this country the Eel 

 is considered so rich and delicious a fish, that it is in al- 

 most equal request for the tables of the rich and the poor. 

 It is usually found in ponds, ditches, or rivers, where the 

 bottom is muddy, or where there are roots of trees, rocks, 

 stones, or other bodies, under which it is secured from 

 the attack of its foes, and where it can lie in wait for 

 prey. Eels feed indiscriminately on all kinds of animal 

 substances, living or dead. Small ducks have been known 

 to be destroyed by them, and a dead dog in a ditch is an 

 invaluable acquisition. So voracious are they, that they 

 are frequently known to devour their own species. Dur- 

 ing the night these animals oftentimes leave the water, 

 and wander over the meadows to considerable distances, 

 in quest of snails and worms. This will account for Eels 

 being found in ponds which have no connexion with any 

 river or ditch. It is supposed, although the fact is not yet 

 perfectly ascertained, that Eels produce their offspring 

 alive into the world. During the winter season they sink 

 themselves deep into the mud, and continue in a torpid 

 state until the return of spring. There are no fish capable 

 of continuing so long out of the water as these ; nor are 

 any so tenacious of life. 



Conger or Sea Eel. The length and thickness of the 

 Conger are much greater than those of the common eel ; 

 and its weight is sometimes more than a hundred pounds. 



