EELS. 481 
of the long line is fastened a float or buoy, and when the hooks have been 
baited with sand launce, limpets, whelks, and similar substances, the line is 
ready for action. 
The boat, in which the line is ready coiled, makes for the fishing place, 
lowers a grapnel or small anchor, to which is attached the buoy at one end 
of the line, and the vessel then sails off, paying out the line as it proceeds, 
and always “shooting” the line across the tide, so as to prevent the hooks 
from being washed against each other or twisted round the line, which is 
usually shot in the interval between the ebb and flow of the tide, and hauled 
in at the end of about six hours. 
As soon as the long line has been fairly shot, and both ends firmly affixed 
to the grapnels, the fishermen improve the next six hours by angling with 
short lines, one of which is held in each hand. They thus capture not only 
Cod-fish, but haddock, whiting, hake, pollack, and various kinds of flat fishes. 
On favourable occasions the quantity of fish captured by a single boat is very 
great, one man having taken more than four hundred Cod alone in ten hours. 
The Cod is sometimes sent away in a fresh state, but is often split and 
salted on the spot; packed in flats on board, and afterwards washed and 
dried on the rocks. In this state it is called Klip-fish or Rock fish. The 
liver produces a most valuable oil, which is now in great favour for the 
purpose of affording strength to persons afflicted with delicate lungs or who 
show symptoms of decline. The best oil is that which drains naturally from 
the livers as they are thrown into a vessel which is placed in a pan filled 
with boiling water. The oil is then carefully strained through flannel, and is 
ready for sale. 
The roe of the Cod is useful for bait, the sardine in particular being verv 
partial to that substance. Much of the roe is stupidly wasted by the fishe:- 
man, who carelessly flings into the sea a commodity of which he can sell 
any amount, and for which he can obtain ten or eleven shillings percwt. In 
Norway the dried heads of the Cod are used as fodder for cows, and, 
strange to say, the graminivorous quadrupeds are very fond of this aliment. 
Like several other marine fish, the Cod can be kept in a pond, provided the 
water be salt; and if the pond should communicate with the sea, these fishes 
can be readily fattened for the table. Several such ponds are in existence, 
and it is the custom to transfer to them the liveliest specimens that have been 
caught during the day’s fishery, the dead or dying being either sold or cut 
up as food for their imprisoned relatives. These fishes are extremely vora- 
cious and will eat not only the flesh of their kinsmen, but that of whelks and 
other molluscs, which are abundantly thrown to them. It is found that 
under this treatment the Cod is firmer, thicker, and heavier in proportion to 
its length than if it had been suffered to roam at large in the sea. 
In the large and important group of fishes to which our attention is now 
drawn, and popularly known as EELS, the ventral fins are wholly wanting, 
the body is long, snake-like, smooth and slimy on the exterior, and in many 
cases covered with very little scales hidden in the thick soft skin. 
THE two EELS represented in the engravings are examples of some very 
common and useful British fish. 
THE SHARP-NOSED EEL derives its name from the shape of its head, and 
by that structure may be distinguished from the second species. In their 
habits the Eels are so similar that the present species will be taken as an 
example of the whole genus. 
Of the general habits of the Eel, the Hon. Grantley F. Berkeley has 
given the following short and interesting account. During hot, stil 
sunny weather, day and night, in the month of June, the Eels are 
chiefly on the top of the water. Wherever masses of weeds lie, and 
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