284 THE EEL. 



The Common Eel. 



Eels are too well known in this country to require any general 

 description, but it seems there are four distinct species which 

 slightly differ from each other so as to mark them as a separate 

 and distinct race. 1. The silver eel, which is of a very long 

 make, having a remarkably silvery belly, and a great clearness 

 throughout. 2. The greg or greenish eel, which is thicker in 

 proportion than the former, and of a greenish colour on the upper 

 parts, and of a yellow cast below. 3. The broad nosed eel, which 

 has a broader, flatter, and much larger head than any of the others ; 

 and the red finned eel, which is .mentioned by Walton, though he 

 says, " it is very rarely to be met with in our country;" so rare 

 indeed that I never met with any one who had seen one, and I 

 have considerable doubt whether the species actually exists. 



Of all eels the silver eel attains the largest size : instances 

 having occurred of their weighing upwards of twenty pounds, but 

 occurrences of this kind are exceedingly rare ; an eel of three or 

 four pounds weight being considered a fine fish of the kind. The 

 fact is eels are exposed to so many enemies that but few escape to 

 attain their utmost size, whilst their increase in growth is exceed- 

 ly slow as compared to that of most other fishes. 



Eels as we all know are remarkably tenacious of life, and will 

 continue to move for some considerable time after the head is sev- 

 ered from the body ; and yet, what though strange is true, and let 

 those who doubt the fact try the experiment, if you merely divide 

 the spine behind the head, just above the ventral fin, after a faint 

 struggle or two all motion will cease ; yet if the head be entirely 

 severed the body will move about for a considerable time ! How 

 or why this is, I must leave wiser heads than mine to determine : 

 for I must candidly confess that to my slender understanding the 

 matter is altogether incomprehensible. 



Eels also will not only live a longer time out of their own 

 element than any other fishes, but are often known even volunta- 

 rily to forsake it and wander about the meadows in search of 



