CLASS PISCES. 115 



seventy or a hundred yards distant. These, probably, had at 

 some time or other passed from the brook to the garden 

 fence. 



Some of the most remarkable ichthyological observations 

 of recent years are those of Prof. Grassi on the development 

 of some species of Mursenidae, and particularly of the Com- 

 mon Eel, which have been communicated to the Royal 

 Society (Proc. Roy. Soc., vol. lx., pp. 260-271), and are 

 summarised in the Essex Nat. (vol. ix., p. 261). The larva of 

 the Eel is the little fish called by Pennant Leptocephalus 

 brevirostris, which lives in abysmal waters, and is very rarely 

 found floating on the surface. The form described by Yarrell 

 as L. morrisii has been proved by Grassi to be the larva of 

 the Conger Eel. The whole subject is one of the greatest 

 interest to naturalists, and is an admirable example of the 

 necessity and value of careful and. long-continued observation 

 of even the commonest species. 



I consider Eels the very finest and most delicious of our 

 fresh-water fish, especially after they have left our rivers and 

 taken up their residence in salt water. This statement may 

 partake somewhat of the character of an Irish bull ; but the 

 meaning I wish to convey is that an Eel from salt water is 

 free from muddy flavour, and is in every way superior to the 

 same fish during its residence in fresh water. 



Genus CONGER, Cuvier. 



Conger vulgaris, Cuvier. CONGER. 



Our sandy coast is not suited to the habits of this fish. 

 An occasional one is, however, taken. One of 40 Ibs. weight 

 is recorded (Essex Standard, Jan. 3ist, 1885) as having been 

 picked up on the beach at Clacton-on-Sea. Day, quoting 

 Donovan, says (Fishes of Great Britain^ vol. ii., p. 253) one of 

 130 Ibs. weight was captured at the Nore. In the Zoologist 



