Ionian Insijt^ 



\. 



k Y 18 1Q14 



THE ZOOLOGIST 



fa*. 



No. 874.— April 15th, 1914. 



SOME NOTES ON EELS (ANGUILLA VULGARIS) 

 AND EEL-CATCHING IN BEDFOBDSHIBE. 



By J. Steele Elliott. 



The Kiver Ouse has for centuries had a reputation for the 

 number of Eels taken from its waters. In the time of King 

 Edgar a rent of 2000 Eels was paid by Stuntney Fen to the 

 monastery of Ely. This payment eventually ceased for six years, 

 and after a trial held at Cambridge the arrears of 12,000 were 

 required to be paid, in addition to the annual rent of 2000 Eels.* 



For the earliest mention of Eels in the county of Bedford- 

 shire we are indebted to the Domesday Survey. Herein is given 

 the Eel value paid as part rent at certain of the water mills as 

 under : — 



2 Mills, Tempsford, paid 120 Eels and 40/- 



1 Mill, Little Barford, 



2 Mills, Eaton Socon, 

 2 „ Stanford, 

 2 „ Clifton, 

 1 Mill, Putnoe, 

 1 ,, Chainhalle,t 



* Dugdale, ' History of Imbanking,' &c, 2nd edit., p. 183. 

 f The locality of this Manor, in the Half-Hundred of Buchelai, has never 

 been satisfactorily determined. Channel's End, in the parish of Colmworth, 

 is suggested in the 'Victoria County History, Bedfordshire ' (vol. i., p. 237), 

 and again Ravensden, in the 'Bedfordshire Historical Records' (vol. i., 

 p. 63). Neither of these writers seems to have taken the Mill into considera- 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. XVIII., April, 1914. L 



125 



j> 



n 12/- 



100 



>> 



.i 36/6 



50 



>> 



.. 29/- 



150 



>> 



, 40/- 



100 



>> i 



, 30/- 



100 



>> 



, 40/- 



