258 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



months. And this the Eel and Swallow do, as not being 

 able to endure winter weather : for Gesner quotes Alber- 

 tus to say, that in the year 1 125, (that year's winter be- 

 ing more cold than usually,) Eels did, by nature's in- 

 stinct, get out of the water into a stack of hay in a 

 meadow upon dry ground*; and there bedded them- 

 selves : but yet, at last, a frost killed them. And our 

 Camden relates, that in Lancashire, fishes were digged 

 out of the earth with spades, where no water was near 

 to the place t. I shall say little more of the Eel, but 

 that As it is observed, he is impatient of cold; soil 

 hath been 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 search- 

 ers into the natures offish, observe, That there be se- 

 veral sorts or kinds of Eels: as the silver Eel; and 

 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, diversly 

 bred ; as, namely, out of the corruption of the earth ; 

 and some by dew ; and, other ways ; as I have said to 

 you : And } T et it is affirmed by some for certain, that 

 the silver Eel is bred by generation ; but not by spawn- 

 ing 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 testimo- 

 nies of this, to doubt the truth of it myself; and if I 

 thought it needful I might prove it, but 1 think it is 

 needless. 



* Dr. Plot, in his History of Staffordshire, page 242, mentions certain 

 waters, and a pool, that were stocked by Eels that had, from waters they 

 liked not, travelled in arida, or over dry land, to these other. 

 . f Camden's relation is to this effect, viz. " That, at a place called Sef- 

 u ton in the above county, upon turning up the turf, men find a black 

 " deadish water with small fishes therein." Britannia^ Lantashire. Ful- 

 ler, who also reports this strange fact, humourously says, "That the men 

 " of this place goa-fishing with spades and mattocks; adding, thatfishei 

 " are thus found in the country about Heraclea and This, in " 



Worthies, ill Lancashire, 107. 



