122 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



1 Mill, Goldington, paid 100 Eels and 30/- 



1 „ 



Cardington, 



)> 



100 



»> 



„ 40/- 



1 „ 



Willington, 



»> 



100 



>j 



, 12/- 



4 Mills 



, Stotfold, 



ji 



400 



jj 



j, 80/- 



1 Mill, 



Bromham, 



jj 



125 



jj 



, 20/- 



1 „ 



Great Bar ford, 



t> 



80 



5J 



, 22/- 



1 „ 



Roxton, 



>j 



260 



JJ 



, 33/- 



1 „ 



Oakley, 



>> 



200 



JJ 



, 26/- 



1 „ 



Odell, 



>> 



200 



JJ 



, 36/8 



1 „ 



Bromham, 



>> 



100 



JJ J 



, 40/- 



1 „ 



Harrold, 



>> 



200 



JJ 



, 36/8 



A total of twenty-five mills paying as part rent 2610 Eels.* 

 There does not appear to have been any fixed custom as to a 

 part payment of mill rents by Eels, as the other seventy mills in 

 the county referred to in Domesday paid by money value alone. 

 Such rentals varied, from a mill at Sharnbrook rented at 

 16 pence and another at Keysoe 2/-, to one at Clapham at 40/-. 

 Whether the right of taking Eels in fixed traps was restricted 

 by the holders to certain of their mills only is a moot point, but 

 not an improbable one, as any additional traps fixed above their 

 respective mills would seriously affect their catches. 



River Ouzel. 



Heath and Reach. Grange Mill. — One trap, 4 ft. 6 in. x 13 ft. 

 Average take of Eels per year, 3| cwt. Heaviest catch, 1| cwt. 

 Largest taken, over 4 lb. First trap on this tributary of the River 

 Ouse. Owing to the chemical refuse flowing into this stream at 

 Leighton Buzzard, the taking of Eels at this mill has consider- 

 ably depreciated. 



Holcot Mill. — One trap, 3 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. Average take of 



tion, which, judging from its comparatively high rental, must have been one 

 of the most important in the county. Therefore we can reasonably presume 

 the position of this Manor was adjoining the Ouse, and not remote from any 

 important stream, as either of those two localities place it. Even from the 

 part payment of the rent with Eels, it is as practically certain it could not 

 have been either of the above-mentioned localities. 



* It seems probable that there would be some restrictions as to size or 

 weight of Eels in these payments, but nothing is recorded in the Domesday 

 Book. 



