A mere index hunter, who held the eel of science by the tail. Index-hunter is a term used mockingly, meaning one who acquires superficial knowledge merely by consulting indexes. The '[holding] the eel of science by the tail' allusion was… — Tobias Smollett Copy Share Image
![“A mere index hunter, who held the eel of science by the tail. Index-hunter is a term used mockingly, meaning one who acquires superficial knowledge merely by consulting indexes. The '[holding] the eel of science by the tail' allusion was used in 1728 by Alexander Pope (q.v.).” quote by Tobias Smollett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6e1/tobias-smollett-18143_acquire_a-mere-index-hunter-who-held-the-eel-of_2385125.jpg)