THE EELS. 339 



figure representing the River Eel, and the lower, the 

 marine Conger Bel. In the opinion of fishermen, the 

 power of existing out of the water is anything but 

 agreeable to them ; for the Conger lashes so furiously 

 with its tail, and snaps so fiercely with its powerful 

 jaws, that if it be a large one, they are obliged to 

 kill it before they dare to haul it on board. 



Mention may also be made here of the curious little 

 West Indian fishes called by the name of Four-Eyes, 

 in which an adaptation of the organs of vision exists 

 similar to that found in the Whirlwig beetle. When 

 undisturbed, they seem to spend more of their time 

 ashore than in the water, lying stranded on the shallow 

 bank as shown in Cut 16. If alarmed, they scuttle 

 into the water, returning in shoals to land as soon as 

 the cause of their fear is removed. 



PART II. 



TRESPASSERS WITHIN THE EARTH. 



We now come to the second division of this subject, 

 namely, those creatures which pass most or a con- 

 siderable portion of their time under the surface of the 

 ground, and resort there for food or safety, or both. 

 The actual proprietors of the dominion of Earth, we 

 may take to be these annelids, of which the common 



