302 MURyENID.E. 



The term Snig, it should however be stated, is in some 

 counties a general name for any sort of Eel ; and a particular 

 mode of fishing for Eels, Avhich is described in most of the 

 works on Angling, is called Sniggling. 



The Hampshire Snig differs from our other Eels in its 

 habit of roving and feeding during the day, which other Eels 

 do not. It is considered excellent as an article of food, and 

 of a superior flavour to other Eels : it does not however 

 attain a large size, seldom exceeding half a pound in weight. 



The fishermen make a certain difference in the mode of 

 placing their eel-pots when they are desirous of catching 

 Snigs ; finding by long experience that the Snigs get into 

 those pots the mouths of which are set in the opposite direc- 

 tion, in reference to the stream, to others in which the com- 

 mon Eels are taken. 



In the comparative breadth of the nose, the Snig is inter- 

 mediate in reference to the Sharp and Broad-nosed Eels, 

 but rather more resembles that with the sharp nose ; it has a 

 slight but elongated depression extending from the anterior 

 edge of the upper jaw to the upper and bad^: part of the 

 head ; the tubular openings of the nostrils are longer, and the 

 mucous pores about the lips larger and more conspicuous ; 

 both jaws rounded at their extremities, the lower one the 

 longest; teeth longer and stronger than in the common sharp- 

 nosed species ; gape large ; the angle and the posterior edge 

 of the eye on the same vertical line ; the pectoral fins, the 

 commencement of the dorsal fin, and the vent, are each 

 placed nearer the head than in either of our fresh-water Eels. 



The general colour olive green above, passing by a lighter 

 green to yellowish white below. 



Desirous of obtaining internal characters of distinction 

 among our fresh-water Eels, I prepared skeletons of each 

 species, selecting three examples that measured exactly the 



