376 RECENT llEPORTS OF FISHERY AUTHORITIES. 



latirostris), and the snig or yellow eel {Aiujuilla medioj'ostris). Later 

 authors have, for the most part, regarded the three kinds as varieties of 

 one species, Anguilla vulgaris. Gilnther, however, in his Catalogue of the 

 Fishes in the British Museum, attempts to distinguish two species, 

 A. vulgaris and A. latirostris, the latter being tlie frog-mouthed or 

 broad-nosed eel of Yarrel. 



In the Eeport now under review Petersen regards the three so-called 

 varieties as representing three stages in the development of one and the 

 same animal, and his conclusions, based upon a large number of 

 carefully-considered observations, appear to be well founded. Briefly 

 stated the result arrived at is, that the yellow eels comprise both males 

 and females, but are all young fish, which have not yet commenced 

 to assume the bridal-dress of the adult, and in which the generative 

 organs are little developed. The frog-mouthed eels are larger females 

 still in the same conditions, whilst the silver eels comprise both males 

 and females which have taken on the bridal-dress. The generative 

 organs of the latter class are more fully developed, and the animals 

 just on the point of migrating to the sea to spawn. 



The following more detailed account of the three kinds of eels is 

 derived from that given by Petersen. 



Yellow Eels. — The yellow eels are generally of rather light colour, 

 the back, for instance, being grey or brownish, often with a greenish 

 shade, the sides pale yellow, and the belly either like the sides or of a 

 pure white. They are found in both salt and fresh water, and are taken 

 during the winter as well as in summer. The digestive organs are well 

 developed, and the eels feed voraciously. The snout in front of the 

 eyes is much flattened ; the eyes are small, the interorbital space being 

 greater than the horizontal diameter of the eye — in larger specimens 

 generally about double the size. Looked at vertically from above the 

 eyes face upwards rather than sideways, and the corners of the mouth, 

 with the lips, can be seen distinctly outside the eyes. The pectoral fins 

 are light in colour and rounded posteriorly. The skin is thin, the scales 

 are but slightly visible, and very little guanine, which gives the metallic, 

 silvery look to the silver eels, is deposited. The lateral line and its 

 branchings can be seen, but not very distinctly. The yellow eels 

 comprise both males and females, but there are no good external 

 characters to distinguish the sexes excepting size, the males being 

 never longer than 48 cm. (19 inches), whilst the females can reach | to 

 1 metre (20 to 40 inches). The generative organs are but little 

 developed in either sex, although they are sufficiently so to make it 

 quite possible to distinguish males from females, without microscopic 

 examination, in specimens 10 inches long and upwards. With the aid 

 of the microscope the sexes may be distinguished by an examination of 



