144 E E L; CtAss IV. 



of their bodies which they left on the ftoaes, 

 were animated and became young eels. Some mo- 

 derns gave into thcfe opinions, and into others that 

 were equally extravagant. They could not account 

 for the appearance of thefe fifh in ponds that never 

 were flocked with them, and that were even fo 

 remote as to make their being met with in fuch 

 places a phsenomenon that they could not folve. 

 But there is much reafon to believe, that many 

 waters are fupplied with thefe fifh by the aquatic 

 fowl of prey, in the fame manner as vegetation is 

 fpread by many of the land birds, either by being 

 dropped as they carry them to feed their youngs or 

 by paiTing quick thro' their bodies, as is the cafe 

 with herons ; and fuch may be occafion of the 

 appearance of thefe fifh in places where they were 

 never feen before. As to their immediate genera- 

 ViviPA- tion, it has been fufHciently proved to be eiFeded 

 in the ordinary courfe of nature, and that they are 

 viviparous. 



They are extremely voracious, and very deilruc- 

 tive to the fry of fiih. 



No fifli lives fo long out of water as the eel : it 

 is extremely tenacious of life, as its parts will move 

 a confiderable time after they are flayed and cut in- 

 to pieces. 

 Descrip. The eel is placed by Linnaiis in the genus of 

 Mur^na^ his firfl of the apodal fifh, or fuch which 

 want the ventral fins. 



The eyes are placed not remote frorp the end of 



the 



