ON NATURAL HISTORY. 351 



In a sharp clear stream, two Eels may occa- 

 sionally be observed lying one above the other, 

 a space being between them of about two inches. 

 They are perfectly straight and motionless, except 

 the vibration of the fins, which appear in extraor- 

 dinary agitation. They have been seen in this po- 

 sition for two hours at a time, but the cause I have 

 not been able to ascertain. 



The Jews, probably are not aware of the dis- 

 covery of Leuwenhoek, that Eels have scales, or 

 they would, no doubt, eat them. At present they 

 do not form one of their articles of food, as they 

 were commanded to eat of no fish that has not 

 scales. These appear as minute as their roes. 



A large quantity of Eels have been observed in 

 one of the Cumberland lakes, to form a circle round 

 a shoal of small fish, in shallow water, and, after 

 driving them to the shore, they readily caught and 

 fed upon them. I have observed the same thing 

 take place in the canal in Hampton Court Park. 



The two largest Oak trees I can hear of, that 

 have been purchased by the late Navy Board, con- 

 tained the following enormous quantity of timber : 

 The first measured, without the bark, 1448 

 feet, and contained 36 loads 28 feet of timber. 

 The second measured 2426 feet, or 48 loads 26 



