184 FISH CTTI^TUEE. 



that no eel existed in tlie system of the Danube, 

 I here add a letter which I sent to the Titms, and 

 which was published in that journal on Monday, 

 September 26th : — 



" The arrival of that remarkable and valuable fish, 

 the Silurus Q-lanis, in England, is a fact worthy 

 of being made known to the public. It is more 

 than a hundred years . since any new fish has been 

 ^.cclimatized in England, and a very much longer 

 period since any fish of equal value has been 

 brought into this country to be acclimatized ; indeed, 

 it is a question whether any animal since, perhaps, 

 the introduction of the turkey, has been brought 

 here likely to equal the Silurus in importance. One 

 of the greatest wants hitherto felt in this country 

 has been a good pond or lake fish, that might be 

 turned to actual account, in order that the huge 

 wastes of water with which our islands abound might 

 be profitably stocked and employed. This vant the 

 silurus seems likely to meet ; indeed, it is almost 

 the only fish we could have procured which could 

 meet it. Growing to an enormous size, even to 

 2001b. or 3001b in weight, where space and food are 

 plentiful, it nevertheless in ponds preserves its fine 

 flavour. It feeds ravenously upon the coarser kinds 



