( 9^ ) 
^But thofe were far exceeded by one lately caught in 
Maldoft Channel, about a Mile below the Town, the 
length of which was Seven Foot, the Circumference 
Seven and Twenty Inches, the Weight Six and Thirty 
Pounds, and out of its Belly was taken Five Pounds of 
Fat, its Skin was Black, and being ftuft, is ftill prefer- 
ved at MaldoHj for the InlpcxSion of the Curious. This 
Fifti was fuppofed to have been brought down thither 
by the Great Floods at the breaking of the laft Froft, 
becaufe of a Hurt it had on its Back, which the Fi/her- 
man which caught it told me, he did conjefture it might 
be from feme Mill it muft pafs through. 
Had it been my good Fortune to have had the Know- 
ledge of this monftrous Eelioon enough, I would have 
gone ov*er to Maldon, to have feen it opened, it being a 
fit Suhje<9: in which to have examin'd the Parts of Gene- 
ration, fo much controverted, not only by the Ancient, 
but alfo by Modern Authors , and thereby been in 
feme meafure capacitated to have (atisfied my felf con- 
cerning that no lefs controverted Point, the Manner of 
their Generation. 
Many there are, that with Arifiotle, will have the 
Generation of Eels to be Spontaneous or Equivocal, and 
will not allow them the Diftindtion of Sex ; the Diffi- 
culty how Eels Ihould come to be in any Pool, Pond, 
Mote or Diroh, in which never any were put, they 
are not able to furmount, and therefore have vainly 
imagined them either to be produced from Mud, or 
from a peculiar Sort of Dew, falling in May or June, 
upon the Blades of the Graft, whereof Turfs being 
cut, and the Grafly Sides being together, and then 
laid 
