THE EEL. 28l 



without feeding upon anything, as I have told you some 

 swallows have been observed to do in hollow trees, for those 

 cold six months ; and this the eel and swallow do, as not 

 being able to endure winter weather: for Gesner quotes 

 Albertus to say, that in the year 1125, that year's winter 

 being more cold than usually, eels did by nature's instinct 

 get out of the water into a stack of hay in a meadow upon 

 dry ground, and there bedded themselves, but yet at last a 

 frost killed them. d And our Camden relates, 6 that in Lan- 

 cashire fishes were digged out of the earth with spades, 

 where no water was near to the place. I shall say little 

 more of the eel, but that, as it is observed, he is impatient 

 of cold ; so it hath been observed, that in warm weather an 

 eel has been known to live five days out of the water. 



And lastly, let me tell you that some curious searchers 

 into the natures of fish observe, that there be several sorts 

 or kinds of eels, as the silver eel, and green or greenish eel, 

 with which the river of Thames abounds, and those are 

 called grigs ; and a blackish eel, whose head is more flat 

 and bigger than ordinary eels ; and also an eel whose fins 

 are reddish, and but seldom taken in this nation, and yet 

 taken sometimes : these several kinds of eels are, say some, 

 diversely bred ; as namely, out of the corruption of the earth, 

 and some by dew, and other ways, as I have said to you ; 

 and yet it is affirmed by some for certain, that the silver 

 eel is bred by generation, but not by spawning as other fish 

 do, but that her brood come alive from her, being then little 

 live eels, no bigger nor longer than a pin ; and I have had 

 too many testimonies of this to doubt the truth of it myself; 

 and if I thought it needful I might prove it, but I think it 

 is needless. 



