5 2 THE EEL. 



My attention was first drawn to it by Sam Scott, a 

 clever young Thames fisherman, who fishes for his 

 livelihood at Laleham, and whose means of obser- 

 vation are naturally very extensive. 



The weight of perch varies from a few ounces up 

 to three or four pounds. I once saw three killed 

 of the latter weight, or very near it, in one day ; 

 but although larger-sized ones are occasionally 

 recorded, I have never seen one. 



THE EEL. 



We may assume that no one angles for eels; 

 still, as the eel is an inhabitant of the Thames, 

 we will not ignore its existence ; and for culinary 

 purposes it perhaps enjoys more consideration 

 than many of the more sought for denizens of 

 that stream. Eels are of three kinds : the snig 

 which, coated with sand, occupies the coster- 

 monger's shallow basket, and is so accustomed to 

 be skinned alive as to have acquired a proverbial 

 indifference to the process the flat-nosed eel, and 

 the round-nosed eel. Their ordinary food consists 

 of worms, fish alive or dead, and animal matter of 

 all kinds, whatever its state and condition. 



A most effective mode of taking them is, to 



