IjS ^I^E EEL. 



from tiieir bodies by the fiones, received aniitiatifcJio 

 Kondeletius rallily adopted tliis opinion, from having ob- 

 ferved that they were generated in poolsj from •which all 

 the mud and water had been for a while extracted *. 

 This v^as a phenomenon, for which they could in no 

 other way account, than by the fponianeous generation 

 of eels : But later obi"er\ations have afceftained, that 

 ponds are often fupplied with thefe filb, in the fame man- 

 ner that vegetation is fpiead, by tranfpcrting the feeds of 

 plants. The heron, or other water fowl, may drop the 

 eel, when carrying it to its youpg, or the young may bs 

 ejedled unhurt from its bowels, as the feeds of plants 

 are voided by land birds, without being injured by the 

 operation of the ftomach. 



In their habitation, the fiflies of this genus are fiill 

 more fingular, than in their manner of propagating their 

 young. They can refide either in fait or frelh water f; 

 and what is Hill more furprifing, they are in fome mea- 

 fure independent of either j for they fometimes leave their 

 native element, and wander, during night, along the 

 dewy meadows, not only for a change of habitation^ but 

 in quefl of prey J. Of thefe nightly excurfions, the faail 

 is com-tnonly the vidlim, being dev'oured by the eel as it 

 paffes along. 



There is no animal more vivacious than the eel ; when 

 drawn from the water, it will furvive blows that would 

 have killed an animal ten times its fize ; and even after 

 it is cut afunder, the different parts are feen to move ^. 

 It is, however, fo ealily deflroyed by cold, that to avoid 

 at, it beds itfelf deep among the mud, and continues, like' 



the 



• Dc pifcibus. f Rondelct. de Pifcibus. 199, 



J Brit.Zool. dafs iv. gen, I a, § Idem ibidem. 



