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  THE 
  VERTEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  Family 
  MUR^ENIDJE, 
  Midler. 
  

  

  Genus 
  ANGUILLA. 
  

  

  Anguilla 
  vulgaris, 
  Turton. 
  " 
  Sharp-nosed-eel." 
  

   " 
  Broad-nosed-eel." 
  

  

  An 
  abundant 
  species 
  in 
  all 
  our 
  streams 
  and 
  lochs, 
  attaining 
  

   in 
  size 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  feet. 
  The 
  young 
  ascend 
  

   the 
  rivers 
  in 
  vast 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  months 
  of 
  May 
  and 
  June, 
  

   always 
  keeping 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  banks 
  in 
  an 
  unbroken 
  stream 
  for 
  

   several 
  days, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  they 
  are 
  about 
  three 
  to 
  three 
  

   and 
  a 
  half 
  inches 
  long. 
  

  

  On 
  July 
  6th, 
  1895, 
  I 
  saw 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  

   Muick, 
  from 
  six 
  to 
  ten 
  inches 
  long. 
  All 
  were 
  making 
  up 
  

   stream. 
  In 
  their 
  march 
  they 
  are 
  often 
  accompanied 
  by 
  

   minnows, 
  who 
  usually 
  keep 
  at 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  advancing 
  

   host, 
  and 
  generally 
  at 
  the 
  side 
  next 
  the 
  stream. 
  A 
  good 
  

   description 
  of 
  this 
  "procession" 
  is 
  given 
  by 
  the 
  Rev. 
  Mr. 
  

   George 
  Mark, 
  late 
  minister 
  of 
  Peterculter, 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  in 
  

   the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A., 
  vol. 
  xvi., 
  p. 
  388. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  eastern 
  parts 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  Eels 
  are 
  not 
  now 
  used 
  

   as 
  food; 
  indeed, 
  the 
  people 
  would 
  as 
  soon 
  think 
  of 
  eating 
  

   snakes. 
  Such 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  however 
  to 
  have 
  always 
  been 
  

   the 
  case, 
  for 
  we 
  are 
  told 
  by 
  the 
  writer 
  above 
  quoted 
  that 
  

   " 
  tenants 
  who 
  live 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  a 
  burn 
  sometimes 
  build 
  a 
  

   fish-garth 
  or 
  dam 
  with 
  an 
  opening 
  to 
  receive 
  a 
  kind 
  cf 
  osier 
  

   basket, 
  or 
  what 
  they 
  call 
  a 
  hose-net 
  for 
  catching 
  fish. 
  They 
  

   catch 
  some 
  trout 
  and 
  some 
  pike, 
  but 
  Eels 
  in 
  great 
  abundance 
  

   at 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  their 
  returning 
  to 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  

   cure 
  them 
  in 
  large 
  earthen 
  jars 
  or 
  small 
  casks 
  for 
  winter 
  

   provision." 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  understood 
  that 
  the 
  Eel 
  spawns 
  in 
  the 
  

   sea, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  asserted 
  that, 
  having 
  once 
  performed 
  that 
  

   operation, 
  it 
  dies. 
  

  

  Genus 
  CONGER, 
  Cuvier. 
  

  

  Conger 
  vulgaris, 
  Guv. 
  Conger. 
  " 
  Haivel." 
  " 
  Haivel 
  Eel." 
  

  

  "Evil 
  Eel." 
  

  

  Common 
  all 
  along 
  the 
  coast. 
  Edward 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  This 
  large 
  

   species 
  is 
  often 
  met 
  with, 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  used 
  as 
  food." 
  A 
  different 
  

  

  