100 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



XVI. Strange misstatements in ichthyological literature. 



One may conclude from these observations that the eels preparing- to 

 spawn leave the inner waters early in December and seek out the deeper 

 places of the sea, where they Cannot be caught with our ordinary imple- 

 ments of capture. The eel eggs can only be found by a systematic in- 

 vestigation of certain parts of the sea bottom with the dredge and the 

 microscope. This investigation might also include the sinking of the 

 migrating eels in special cases to the bottom of the sea, in order to 

 determine whether, under these circumstances, the eggs would ripen 

 more rapidly. By using the largest fish for this purpose one could 

 arrange, by means of small openings in the cages, to permit the entrance 

 of the small male eels. At any rate, there is no doubt from these ob- 

 servations that the spawning period of the eel takes place in winter. 



In an article by Guido Lindenhain, entitled "The Natural History of 

 the Eel" {Zur NaturgescJiichte der Aale), which has recently been pub- 

 lished in the Austro-Hungarian Fishery Gazette, extending through 

 six numbers, a fanciful contributor of that paper, among other wonder- 

 ful things, claims to have discovered the spawning of the eel in rivers 

 and ponds. I will allow the very sagacious gentleman to recount his 

 summer-night's dream in his own words, in order to show with what 

 certainty and precision the most baseless fables concerning the natural 

 history of tlie eel are even yet narrated : 



" The methods of spawning by the eel," writes this keen observer, " are 

 very interesting, but to observe them is very difficult and tiresome, and^ 

 indeed, only possible when the spawning places have already been deter- 

 mined by experience. One must remain for many nights upon the shore, 

 hidden behind the bushes, with unflagging attention, until these nocturnal 

 adventurers have come into the shallow water and made their presence 

 known by their snake-like motions at the surface. As soon as they 

 have gathered together upon their chosen haunts there is a great com- 

 motion in the water, and powerful blows are heard, so that the water 

 splashes up a considerable distance, and the surface is covered with 

 little waves, as if some great object were moving about, after which 

 one gets giimi^ses of jiarts of the bodies of the contending rivals of the 

 happy spawning fishes themselves. After the duration of an hour or 

 so it is again quiet, and one sees that the water is moved' in difterent 

 directions in serpent-like waves, which become less and less apparent to 

 the eye of the observer, while the eels are leaving the spawning-places 

 and are betaking themselves to hunt for food or are seeking their cus- 

 tomary quiet dwelling-places. If the observer, moved by overwhelming 

 curiosity, comes on the following day to the same place, he sees nothing, 

 but if he looks with a strong magnifying glass carefully over the water- 

 I)lants, he discovers little greenish-white eggs resting upon the bottom, 

 out of which the young eels will escape in about six weeks." 



"It is onlj' to be regretted that the enterprising observer has not 

 illustrated the whole develoi3ment of the egg by photograj)liic views of 

 his fancies." 



