The Common Eel.] OF ORKNEY. 185 



be retained in the claws, or even the stomachs, of birds which 

 prey on it ; how tenacious of life it is, which makes it capable 

 of being carried a great way without being the worse ; and if 

 dropped, its ability in this case to seek out a proper habita- 

 tion for itself. 



The mind of man, once set upon scrutinising any particu- 

 lar, can ill bear to be baffled, but must solve it in some man- 

 ner, though frequently false ; no wonder then there have been 

 so many odd opinions, relative to the furnishing the remoter 

 lakes with eels. Our rural philosophers, not perhaps so at- 

 tentive to every one of the eel's faculties, have found out a 

 method of supplying all the lakes in the world with eels, by a 

 very easy expence: nothing more than throwing into the wa- 

 ter a few hairs of a stallion,' and of which they tell us all these 

 eels come, which are found in these inaccessible places. But 

 ask reasons for thinking so, all dumb ! 



Eels seldom are seen here of any great bulk ; two feet and 

 a half is the largest I have seen, but few even of that size. 

 At particular times of the year, they may be caught ia hun- 

 dreds in the harbour of Stromness, especially immediately be- 

 fore the piers, the receptacles of many a different animal, 

 both land and sea. 



The flesh of eels is something strong, and the skin thick, 

 and very tough. Our country people strip it off, and wear it 

 about their ankles as a preservative against the cramp ; with 

 what justice it deserves that character I know not, or whether 

 the effects are answerable to the expectation. 



Eels were long thought to want scales, but this is found to 



A a 



