THE EEL. 87 



out my tench to give him to the cook, when lo! he 

 gasped ; I put him into water, and he actually appeared 

 none the worse for all he had gone through. Thinking 

 then that he had earned his life, I gave him his liberty, 

 and turned him into a small pond, and a twelvemonth 

 after, when we were netting it, we got him out, and he had 

 grown about half a pound. I have seen some tench ^ 

 however, that have died in a much shorter time, though 

 generally they have tough lives. 



What truth there may be in the old story of the medical 

 powers of the tench, I cannot pretend to say. He is rather 

 slimy as to his skin, and if, like the bream, he can part 

 with his slime freely, it might prove efficacious, like 

 * parmaceti for an inward bruise ' probably ; but I can 

 assume no other way in which he could be at all service- 

 able as a member of the finny faculty (unless his skin 

 possesses electrical powers). 



THE EEL (Murtena anffuiUa). 



Angling for eels can hardy be looked upon as a matter 

 of any great consequence, as regards sport ; and yet there 

 are times, such as very hot still days when the trout will 

 not move, when sniggling an old eel out of his hole in 

 some lock or hatch-gate is not altogether unamusing, 

 while three or four of these fish form a by no means un- 

 pleasant change in the angler's bill of fare. And as at 

 times the angler may be glad so to amend his supper or 

 dinner, I give a brief account of the best way of taking 

 eels. 



Eels are principally caught in traps constructed for the 

 purpose. These are made mostly at mill- weirs and such 

 places, but often independently of them. Stages are 

 erected, and on them are set large baskets called ' bucks.' 

 They are also taken in smaller baskets called ' pots ' or 



