642 EELS IX WATER PIPES AND IHEIR MIGRATION. — ^BlSHOP. 



street surface, as well as beiu^' auuoyiiu)- to liousehoklers, I 

 eventually discovered a plan which proved more satisfactory 

 and economical. I f<nind that by attachiiii>' a strono pump to 

 the service i)ipo into the house, hy means of which the eel could 

 be easily forced back into the main, (which we frecpieutly did 

 against a pressure of 90 ])oUiids), the eel l)eino' dead, or nearly 

 so, was easily carried along with the c\irrent and taken out of a 

 hydrant opened for this purjjose. It was sometimes necessary 

 to shut a valve to divert the flow of water in the <lirection of 

 the hydrant. 



During the above-mentioned migatory season, there had 

 been no water going over the waste weir. The only water going 

 from the lakes was by way of the water pipes. From the above 

 facts, and from noting that after heavy rains occurred, many 

 eels would be taken from the water pipes, I came to the con- 

 clusion that at such times they must gather about the intake in 

 great numbers, trying to follow the current of the water to 

 reach the sea. 



The water enters the screen-chamber through an opening 

 two feet wide by nine feet dee[). In this o])ening three screens 

 were placed one above the other. In the bottom screen, Avhich is 

 two by three feet, I cut in the centre a hole sixteen inches in 

 diameter and titted to it a funnel-shaped intake of screen cloth, 

 8 by 8 mesh, Xo. 1(> wire, leaving a circular oj)ening of one 

 and a half inches to admit eels. I then boxed oft" the back of 

 the screen with the same material. It can be readily seen that 

 eels ti-viiio- to follow the flow of water would easily find their 

 way into this trap, from which there is no escape except through 

 the small funnel opening by which they came in. The peculiar 

 ccynstruction of this trap makes this opening very difficult to 

 find from the inside; therefore, eels one in, remain there initil 

 they are taken out. 



The tra)) was put in ])osition on the 2l)th of Ai)ril, lt)04, 

 and on May (Jth eighty-nine eels were found in it. Three were 

 about one foot long, the reniainiuii' eiaht-six were small, from 



