The Latmce.-] OF ORKNEY. . 189 



the tide, and in some places is taken up by a common corn 

 hook ; but here, though they are very frequent, are very little 

 sought after, which is the more surprising, as no fish makes a 

 better bait for the larger fishes, and besides is excellent eating. 



This fish is most excellently shaped for its way of life ; the 

 head small, and muzzle sharp, to pierce through the sand 

 easily ; the body square and slender, so that there may be no 

 obstruction from it; in a word, the whole shape is fitted to 

 make way very quickly through the sand, to save itself from 

 its many enemies, for few fish that take a bail but may be 

 caught at a hook baited with sand-eel or herring. 



The colours of this fish are very bright ; the back in some 

 blue, in others green ; the sides and belly of silver white ; the 

 skin so thin that the partings of the fish may be seen through 

 it ; the side line visible and straight. 



This fish makes a very fine dish, and when in roe, this taken 

 out and fried is excellent. It seems sensible of its own excel- 

 lency, and the many enemies it has to fear, for if at any lime 

 it comes up out of the sand, it immediately, as if conscious 

 of danger, hastes to bury itself again. Porpoises, cod-fish, 

 mackerel,' and many others, are continually hunting after it 

 while the tide is up, or in the deeper waters ; and the sea- 

 birds are very careful watchers of it while the tide is low. 



We have another silver-coloured eel, found very frequent 

 among the ware at low-water mark ; but as the shape differs 

 from the former, I rather imagine it may be the young of the 

 common eel, as they are never seen of this colour above two 

 or three inches long, and of the thickness of a crow quill, 



