NATURAL HISTORY. . 44 :i 



the year, except a few weeks in March or April. Although it 

 is a marine fish, it seems to thrive well in river-water, or even 

 in a pond. Mr. Arnold kept several in a pond in Guernsey, 

 where the soles became twice as thick in proportion to their 

 length as those living in the sea. 



Sub-order III. APODA. (Gr. 'A, privation; TTOV^, a foot.) 

 Family IX. . . Murrendue. (Or. Mvpatva, a Sea-eel.) 



AXCUILLA. (Lat. a little Ed.} 



Acutirostris (Lat. sharp-beaked), i 



scd EeL 



The AroDA, or footless fish, so called from the absence of 

 ventral fins, comprise the Eels. 



These fish assume a form very similar to the serpents. Al- 

 though on a hasty examination they seem to be devoid of scales, 

 yet when the skin is dried, very minute scales may be seen 

 through the semi-transparent outer skin, and may be easily de- 

 tached by carefully separating the two skins. 



Eels inhabit muddy ponds and rivers, and are common in 

 many canals. They are susceptible of cold, and constantly de- 

 scend the rivers to deposit their spawn in the sea, after which, 

 the young, when hatched, work their way up the rivers, there- 

 by precisely reversing the habits of the salmon. They are ca- 

 pable of living out of water for a long time, and often make 

 voluntary land excursions, either for the purpose of avoiding an 

 insurmountable fall, or in search of frogs or worms, on which 



