346 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



cress. I imagine that if this be the case it is for some such reason as 

 that which prompts a dog to eat grass. He, however, goes on to say that 

 animal food is chiefly its sustenance. This, I add, must be clean and 

 fresh. Par parenthdse, however, it may be remarked that the broad-nosed 

 eel will, to my certain knowledge, when pressed with hunger, eat almost 

 any carrion. Couch adds that the water hen, and in several instances a 

 rat, have been found in the stomach of an eel, and on examining one that 

 was found floating on the river Tamar, a snake, only a little less than the 

 eel itself, was found in its stomach. Yarrell remarks that they will eat 

 the fins off carp. I don't know of an instance myself where the "fresh 

 water fox " was foolish enough to allow it, but, doubtless, this careful 

 author had some grounds for his remark. I have seen an eel with its 

 stomach so distended by a large frog, that it looked, as Josh Billings 

 comically says about snakes under similar circumstances, like " a young 

 pup with two quarts of milk knocked into it by mistake." 



The principal natural food of eels, however, seems to be, first, all 

 the water worms which abound in our rivers and lakes, especially those 

 of the nais species, which are of a bright scarlet hue, and most beautiful 

 microscopical objects. Next I am persuaded the Crustacea are the most 

 affected by the anguilla. Comprised in this generic title are, of course, 

 all Entomostraca, amongst whom the "water fleas," especially the 

 Cyclops quadricornis, are first favourites. The eel, like the trout, will 

 also thrive eminently where there are plenty of the Pulex gamma/ri, or 

 water shrimps. 



Besides the well-known food of these fish, such as worms, &c., it is by 

 no means certain that human flesh is not caviare to them. It is recorded 

 that in the palmy days of epicurean Rome certain fastidious gourmands 

 would eat no eels that were not fattened on the flesh of men, 

 i.e., refractory slaves or condemned malefactors ; also who does not 

 recollect the witty stanza from the " Knight and the Lady " (" Ingoldsby 

 Legends ") P 



And when she " comes to," oh, 'tis shocking to view 



The sight which the corpse reveals ! 

 Sir Thomas' body. It looked so odd he 



Was half eaten up by the eels. 

 His waistcoat and hose, and the rest of his clothes 



Were all gnawed through and through ; 

 And out of each shoe an eel they drew, 



And from each of his pockets they pulled out two ! 



And she said with a pensive air, 



Eels a many I've ate ; but any 



So good ne'er tasted before ! 

 They're a fish too of which I'm remarkably fond, 

 Go pop Sir Thomas again in the pond, 



Poor dear ! he'll catch us some more. 



