A bit of a change, for the eel that was here first has slid away into the depths - for it was discovered, whilst indexing, that I had used that set before.
Now why eels? Well after Dwynwen came to Anglesey, she founded a convent at a place called Llanddwyn, and there was a well in the grounds, in which were some kind of eel. After she died, in 465 AD, people would often visit the convent, and look at the eels, and it came to be thought that they could tell fortunes, especially for lovers, and most especially for those who fall in love with someone unsuitable. Now I am not sure how these eels told fortunes but I imagine it was something like tea leaves, that their lissome bodies could bend into a readable shape, or maybe into one of the easier initials like S or C.
I tried to find out more about divining with eels, but it seems that this has to be left to the imagination. I did, however, find out that they seem to have fulfilled rather adult roles in painting and literature, both because their shape and their transmission of electricity - more about which can be read at Wellcome/Eels&Feels
This is a slightly different eel to the one you would have seen when you saw this card of the day on its arrival. As to why, well the indexing revealed that we already had a card from John Player Aquarium Series. So we have kept the same issuer but switched to another set.
Our original John Player reference book, RB.17, issued in 1950, shows this to be quite an interesting issue with several variations. It describes them as :
102. FRESH-WATER FISHES. Fronts in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text.
A. 50 Small cards, adhesive - special album issued. Home issue.
1. Backs pink card - issued November, 1933
2. Backs white card - issued February, 1934B. 25 Large cards, adhesive. Home issue June 1935
C. 25 Large cards, non-adhesive. Irish issue.
I am not sure why the pink back was replaced, perhaps to make it easier to read? But do email in if you know.
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index is up to the ploy of splitting Irish cards away again, and they appear on a different page (as P72-101). That leaves the remaining text as :
FRESH-WATER FISHES. Nd. See RB.17/102
A. Small (50) Back a) pink b) white
B. Large (25)
And the same is true for our updated version, where the Irish set is coded as P644-210. The description is much the same as above, but without the cross reference to the original John Player reference book though it adds, as the last words of the large version, "No album issued"