Habits of the 'Eel. 233 



marked, be species; the Salmo ferox Jardine and Selby ; the 

 fSalmo Salmulus Ray, or par; and the char (S. alpinus). 

 Facts on the habits and characteristics of all these are sup- 

 plied. Sir W. Jardine has not any " hesitation in consider- 

 ing the parr not only distinct, but one of the best and most 

 constantly marked species we have." 



It delights us to have to place after this brief notice testi- 

 mony to just the same amount, given incidentally in the 

 following notice on the eel, by the practical naturalist, our 

 valued correspondent, " W. L. of Selkirkshire." W. L.'s 

 communication is without date; we received it on Feb. 11. 

 1835 ; and although the views of Sir W. Jardine had been 

 published previously, we dare answer for W. L.'s not having 

 seen them, as he makes no mention of them. 



Observations on the Eel (A?iguilla M.ur<zna). (V.313. 744.; 

 VII. 283. 538. 60 J.) — The varieties, and more especially 

 the young, of the salmon, namely, of Salmo Salar, have been 

 a subject of dispute for the last forty years at least ; and this, 

 not only among scientific naturalists, but among the anglers, 

 those who delight in the voice of the living stream for its own 

 sake, as well as on account of all that are therein ; and even 

 among those who make their " bread upon the waters." This 

 controversy, from Sir Humphry Davy to the Ettrick Shep- 

 herd (both equally good anglers, and both almost equally 

 ignorant of fish), has never failed to draw in, or end with, the 

 par [VII. 204. 521.], Salmo maculatus vel minimus*; and 

 sometimes the antagonists have transferred the contest to eels. 



I have lived at different periods, and for many years, on the 

 banks of the Tweed; and, since a bare-necked runagate at 

 school, killing them in dozens with a table-fork purloined from 

 the kitchen for a tiny spear, I have been convinced that they 

 were the most numerous genus in the river, always excepting 

 the minnows (Cyprinus Phoxinus) ; yet, for the greater part 

 of these years, whence they came, or whither they went, was 

 almost, if not altogether, a mystery, like the winter abode 

 of the swallow before the time of Pennant and White. I 

 had, indeed, heard stories of swarms of young eels having 



* It is now nearly ascertained that this fish spawns in brackish water. 

 I have taken a dozen, caught with the rod, and opened them, and found 

 roes in about five out of the twelve. The roe-bed in the month of July is 

 about liin. long, and nearly as thick as a crowquill. The roes are easily 

 distinguished by young people without the aid of a glass. I have repeated 

 this examination several times. Surely it is full time that this most inter- 

 esting and beautiful [species] of the genus should have a learned name. 

 Might it not be called S. minimus ? Maculatus, although sufficiently 

 descriptive, would not be quite pretty enough for such a pretty fish. — 

 [W. L,] 



