394 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



nected with their structure, make it difficult to discover 

 specimens containing the fully developed eggs. Of the fact 

 of their being oviparous the immense number of young 

 produced by them is a very fair negative proof, viviparous 

 fishes, such as the Sharks, Blennies, &c., producing but very 

 few young at a time, and those of considerable size when 

 first born. The eggs of the Eel are exceedingly minute, 

 and the organs of reproduction differ somewhat from those 

 of other fishes *. 



The Eelets, or Elvers, are at first very small and trans- 

 parent; gradually the skin becomes opaque, and finally 

 black ; in May and June they are of a greenish-brown 

 colour, and from 4 to 7 or 8 inches long, attaining a 

 length of not more than a foot during the first year, and 

 maturing the roe only after the second or third year. 

 They finally, however, acquire a large size. Yarrell men- 

 tions having seen the preserved skins of two of the Sharp- 

 nosed species which had together weighed 50 Ibs., the 

 heavier of the two having been 27 Ibs. ; these eels were 

 taken in draining a fen-dyke at Wisbeach. No other fish 

 of any sort were found in that dyke a circumstance which 

 is not very surprising considering the voracity of the species 

 and the size of the individuals for whose appetite they had 

 to cater. Failing a sufficient supply of fish, Eels will feed 



* In some drawings in the Collection of John Hunter, published 

 since his death, these peculiarities are beautifully exhibited j and Dr. 

 Hornschuch, in an inaugural thesis dated 1842, has given very good 

 figures and descriptions of the same parts. 



