ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 207 



she had open'd, and she said, she had never observ'd 

 any, but that she sometimes found living Eels 

 in them about the Bigness of a small Needle, 

 and particularly that she once took out ten or 

 twelve and put them on the Table and found 

 them to be alive, which was confirm'd to me by 

 the rest of the Family : the Time of Year when 

 this happen'd was (as they inform'd me) about 

 a fortnight or three weeks after Michaelmas, which 

 makes me of Opinion that they go down to the 

 Sea or Salt- Water to prepare themselves for the 

 work of propagation, and producing their Young. 

 To this I must add another Observation of the same 

 Nature that was made by a Gentleman of Fortune 

 not far from Ludlow and in the Commission of the 

 Peace for the County of Salop. Who going to visit 

 a Gentleman his Friend, was shown a very fine large 

 Eel that was going to be dress'd, about whose Sides 

 and Belly he observ'd a Parcell of little creeping 

 Things, which at first made him suspect it had been 

 kept too long, but upon nearer inspection they were 

 found to be perfect little Eels or Elvers. Upon this 

 it was immediately open'd in the sight of several 

 other Gentlemen, and in the Belly of it they found 

 a Lump about as big as a Nutmeg consisting of an 

 infinite Number of those little Creatures closely 

 wrapt up together, which being put into a Basin of 

 Water, they soon separated themselves and swam 

 about the Basin : This he has often told to several 

 Gentlemen of Credit, in his Neighbourhood, from 

 some of whom I first receiv'd this Account, but I 

 have lately had the Satisfaction of having it from 

 his own Mouth; and therefore I think this may 

 serve to put the matter out of all doubt, and may 

 be sufficient to prove that Eels are of the Viviparous 

 kind. 



These supposed little eels or elvers were of course 



