FISHES. 573 



where the greatest sand-eel fishery is carried on, to spawn 

 in April, the sand launce in August ; and in one parish here 

 the yearly catch will be perhaps above 200 bushels. They 

 appear in the winter to keep to very deep waters. 



153. A. LANCEA, Cuv. Bla Tobis. The Sand Launce. D. F. 



Is so much like the last, that for a long time the two 

 species were considered as one. But the sand launce is 

 always smaller, rarely exceeding 8 in. ; the crown of the 

 head is flat, the under jaw shorter, than the height of the 

 body, the dorsal commences over the middle, or hinder 

 part of the pectorals, and there is never a spot on the 

 cheek paler in colour than the last ; no difference in 

 the fin ray formula. 

 Habits and localities on these shores as in the last. 



Fam.- 2. MUE^NOIDEI, Mull. Eels. 



The long dorsal and anal join at the tail point, which has 

 no distinct fin ; bladder present. 



Gen. Anguilla, Cuv. 



Body dark coloured ; not so silvery as in the last ; slimy; 

 scales hidden in the thick skin; dorsal commencing far 

 behind the pectoral ; upper jaw shortest. 



154. ANGUILLA VULGARIS, Cuv. Sott Yattens Al. The Com- 



mon Eel. D. F. 



Is met with in most of the lakes and rivers of the south 

 and middle of Scandinavia, and, according to Widigren, as 

 far up as Lulea Lapland (but in no great numbers), where 

 in August they leave the rivers for the coasts of the sea, and 

 lie buried there during the winter. 



According to Malmgren, they are common in Ladoga, 

 and go up in Finland as high north as 64^ north lat. They 

 attain a good size here. Kespecting the different forms of 

 species of eels, Malmgren, Sundevall, and Nilsson consider 

 the length or shape of the nose as no specific mark of dis- 

 tinction. Sundevall says it is probably owing to a difference 



