FISHES. 
293 
Family MUR-ffiNID^. 
208. Anguilla vulgaris, Flem. Eel. 
Abundant in all the rivers and lochs of the east coast. About 
the middle of April the young eels, or elvers, as they are 
there called, begin to ascend the Brora in millions, the sides 
of the river the whole way up being black with them ; they 
even ascend the Blackwater Falls at Balnacoil, by taking 
advantage of any damp inequalities of the rock ; every trout 
caught at that time is gorged with them. They do not 
appear in the rivers of the west so early in the season as 
they do in the east, but by June all the lochs connecting 
with the Inver are full of them. 
Caithness name — '> Tammy yaa" or " Yaa." Probably a 
corruption of the Scandinavian " Aal." I should fancy the 
Sharp-nosed, Broad-nosed Eel, and Snig are all varieties of 
one species (Peach). 
Eels are very common in the sluggish rivers and lochs 
of Caithness. Large numbers migrate daily at Wick, from 
the fresh to the salt water and back. They leave the river 
just before dark and make their way to the harbour to feed 
on the garbage from the herring refuse thrown overboard 
there. They keep a regular course, which they invariably 
follow day after day. A long string or file of three or 
four deep continues for hours to pour out of the river into 
the bay, and thence into the harbour. The inhabitants 
disregard them, but they are a prize to the Norwegian 
sailors who frequent the port. These latter soon become 
acquainted with their singular habits, and come prepared 
with a peculiar instrument, made of a long pole, flattened 
like an oar-blade for two or three feet. Into one of the 
edges numerous straight pieces of barbed iron are driven 
so close together as to hold any unfortunate eel they may 
