192 Transactions. — Zoology. 



vincecl me that I should look further to find their mode of 

 propagation. About the year 1851, while salmon-fishing in 

 the Eiver Suir, near Clonmel, about the end of July and the 

 beginning of August, I discovered eel-fry coming up the river 

 in numbers, as whitebait come up other rivers. They were 

 perfect in structure, but very small — small enough to run 

 through any interstice that would admit a drop of water 

 through it. This accounted for eels getting into the water- 

 holes near rivers before alluded to. I followed these fry, and 

 found them forming a deep narrow column along the right 

 bank of the river, close to the edge, and extending for miles. 

 "Up every streamlet, no matter how small, a detachment from 

 the main body made its way over every obstacle. It was very 

 interesting to watch the little creatures struggle up the wet 

 grass, stones, and weeds, as, no matter how often they 

 were washed off, they renewed their efforts until they 

 succeeded. For the succeeding four years I observed the eel- 

 fry ascending this river at about the same time each year. In 

 the north and west of Ireland, and in Scotland, I also ob- 

 served eel-fry ascending rivers. In the rivers of the west of 

 Ireland they are very numerous. The people there call them 

 "luogues" (singular; pronounced "lu-og"), and they catch 

 and use them for food, as we use whitebait, and a very good 

 dish they make. 



When in Collingwood, New Zealand, I observed eels 

 coming down the river to the tidal waters. There was a fall 

 in the river which terminated the tides (except spring-tides), 

 and on this fall, in October and November, the boys, with gaff- 

 hooks, used to catch eels coming down the fall ; and in Feb- 

 ruary and March they would catch eels going up, This proved 

 that eels go up rivers after visiting the tidal waters ; but I 

 noted this also on the Eiver Suir and a tributary of it called 

 the Anner. In Porirua, New Zealand, I noticed that eel-fry 

 went up the river in February and March. In 1890 mining 

 speculations took me to Cullensville, and, as is my custom, I 

 tried all the streams for the fresh-water pearl-mussel (Unio 

 aucklandicus) , which I found so abundant in the streams and 

 lakes of West Wanganui and in the streams of Wanganui 

 North. I did not discover any mussels, but on two occasions 

 I found two eels entwined so that I was able to throw one 

 pair out on the bank. They were too quick for me, and got 

 back safely to the water before I could catch and examine 

 them. Of course they became separated when I threw 

 them out. In January, 1891, I, with others, was fishing 

 in the stream near the Grove, in Queen Charlotte Sound, at 

 night, and, having caught some eels, returned to camp, about 

 nine miles inland. On cleaning the eels the following morning 

 I found in one a bag or matrix, distinct from the alimentary 



