The Compleat ^Angler 



to be but ten years, yet he, in his History of Life and Death, 

 mentions a lamprey belonging to the Roman emperor, to be made 

 tame, and so kept for almost threescore years ; and that such useful 

 and pleasant observations were made of this lamprey, that Crassus 

 the orator (who kept her) lamented her death. And we read (in 

 Dr. Hakewill) that Hortensius was seen to weep at the death of a 

 lamprey that he had kept long and loved exceedingly. 



It is granted by all, or most men, that eels, for about six months 

 (that is to say, the six cold months of the year) stir not up and 

 down, neither in the rivers, nor in the pools in which they usually 

 are, but get into the soft earth or mud ; and there many of them 

 together bed themselves, and live without feeding upon anything (as 

 I have told you some swallows have been observed to do in hollow 

 trees, for those cold six months) ; and this the eel and swallow do, 

 as not being able to endure winter weather : for Gesner quotes 

 Albertus to say, that in the year 1125 (that year's winter being 

 more cold than usually) eels did by nature's instinct get out of the 

 water into a stack of hay in a meadow upon dry ground, and there 

 bedded themselves, 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. I shall say 

 little more of the eel, but that, as it is observed, he is impatient of 

 cold ; so it 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 searchers into the 

 natures of fish observe, that there be several 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 kinds 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 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 ; 



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