The Fourth Day 159 



observed, that, in warm weather, an Eel has been 

 known to live five days out of the water. 



And lastly, let me tell you, that some curious 

 searchers into the natures of fish observe, that there 

 be several sorts or kinds of Eels ; as the silver Eel, 

 the green or greenish Eel, with which the river of 

 Thames abounds, and those are called Grigs ; and a 

 blackish Eel, whose head is more flat and bigger 

 than ordinary Eels ; and also an Eel whose fins are 

 reddish, and but seldom taken in this nation, and 

 yet taken sometimes. These several kind of Eels 

 are, say some, diversely bred ; as, namely, out of 

 the corruption of the earth ; and some by dew, and 

 other ways, as I have said to you : and yet it is 

 affirmed by some for a certain, that the silver Eel 

 is bred by generation, but not by spawning as other 

 fish do; but that her brood come alive from her, 

 being then little live Eels no bigger nor longer than 

 a pin ; and I have had too many testimonies of this, 

 to doubt the truth of it myself; and if I thought it 

 needful I might prove it, but I think it is needless. 



And this Eel, of which I have said so much to 

 you, may be caught with divers kinds of baits : as 

 namely, with powdered beef; with a lob or garden 

 worm ; with a minnow ; or gut of a hen, chicken, 

 or the guts of any fish, or with almost anything, for 

 he is a greedy fish. But the Eel may be caught, 

 especially, with a little, a very little Lamprey, which 

 some call a Pride, and may, in the hot months, be 

 found many of them in the river Thames, and in 

 many mud-heaps in other rivers; yea, almost as 

 usually as one finds worms in a dunghill. 



Next note, that the Eel seldom stirs in the day, but 

 then hides himself; and therefore he is usually caught 

 by night, with one of these baits of which I have 

 spoken ; and may be then caught by laying hooks, 

 v/hich you are to fasten to the bank, or twigs of a 



