482 THE SHARP-NOSED EEL, 
what is called the cow-weed grows tke longest, there Ecls do congregate, 
to bask in the sun by day, to enjoy by night the warmth left in the 
weeds by the sun, and there, while thus luxuriating, to snap at and catch 
the myriads of gnats, moths, flies, and other insects that seek the weeds tor 
food or rest, and by damping their wings become an easy prey to their 
ambushed assailants. In waiting for the otter, or watching the river, I have 
often sat in my boat embayed in weeds, and seen and heard the Eels thus 
occupied; and near and within these weeds, in the particular weather alluded 
to, the wire-traps, nets, and snig-pots take best. The haunts of Eels are 
quite as variable as the weather. In warm, still weather, seek them on the 
rapids and near weeds either waving on the surface of the water or in floating 
masses of detached weeds that the eddies of the stream have wound and 
kept in one place. In blowing, cooler, or rainy weather, then look for them 
in the still, deep ditches. If a flush of water comes, and a little shallow 
stream running from or into the main river becomes fuller than usual, then 
let all the capturing gear be set to take them on, to them, this delicious 
change of ground, for against this stream they will work as long as it is 
freshened. In one night, in a little stream of this sort, 1 took thirty pounds 
weight of Eels. 
Like several fishes which have already been mentioned, Eels are very 
tenacious of life, and are able to live for a long time when taken out of water, 
owing to a simple but beautiful modification of structure, which retains a 
sufficient amount of moisture to keep the gills in a damp state and able to 
perform their natural functions. These fishes have been seen crawling over 
considerable distances, evi- 
dently either in search of 
water, their own dwelling- 
place being nearly dried, or 
in quest of some running 
: stream in whose waters they 
NAN might descend to the sea 
i] ran afterthemanner of theirrace. 
| NE WN Towards the latter end of 
Wi summer the [els migrate 
fal towards the sea, and it is 
= found that these fishes can 
SHARP-NOSED FEL.—(Anguilla acutirostris.) live either in fresh or salt 
water with equal ease, the 
mouths of rivers being favoured localities. It sometimes happens that 
even in our seaport towns and marine watering-places, the commen river Eel 
is caught by those who are angling in the sea for marine fish. This quality 
is peculiarly valuable in the Eel, as it enables the Dutch fishermen, who 
annually supply our markets with vast numbers of these fish, to bring them 
across the sea in vessels that are fitted with “wells” pierced for the trans- 
mission of the sea-water through which the vessel is sailing. 
The tenacity of life possessed by this fish is really remarkable ; and it is 
worthy of notice that the best mode of killing Eels is to grasp them by the neck 
and slap their tails smartly against a stone or post. The muscular irritability 
of the body is wonderfully enduring, and after the creature has been cut up 
into lengths each separate piece moves abuvut as if alive, while at the touch of 
a pin’s point it will curve itself as if it felt the injury. When all such 
irritability has ceased, the portions will flounce about vigorously if placed in 
boiling water ; and even after they have remained quiet under its influence, the 
addition of salt will make them jump about as vigorously as ever. Of course 
there can be no real sensation, the spinal cord having been severed, 
