250 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



of a much smaller description than the generality 

 of descending eels; but this, according to my 

 experience, apparently arises from the fact that 

 nothing but the smaller kind of eel-pots are 

 set to catch the fish, which precludes the possi- 

 bility of catcliing the larger fish. That they are 

 to be caught, I have proved by capturing, among 

 others, one snig that weighed four pounds and a 

 quarter. 



During the summer I have caught large snigs 

 and large eels on night-lines ; and then the eel, 

 though it had not donned the golden hue, had 

 entirely lost the richness and ill flavour of the 

 descending fish; but whether or not he would 

 have attained the colour of the snig by a pro- 

 longed summer residence in the river, I cannot 

 precisely say. 



After the descent of the eels in autumn, I have 

 followed them up with a spear, to ascertain, if I 

 could, as immediately as possible on their descent, 

 which class of fisli remained in the river mud, 

 whether snig or eel. Those I found were chiefly 

 eels in their descending condition, mixed lierc 

 and there with the snig. The question then oc- 

 curred to me whether or not the snigs so found 



