THE SHADS, THE EELS, AND THE LAMPREYS 297 
foul was the river that Dutch fishermen had to give up 
bringing live eels in the wells of their boats for the London 
market, because they were poisoned so soon as they entered 
the Thames. How, then, did the eels in the middle and 
upper reaches continue to exist after the annual eel-fare 
ceased? The solution is found through the Thames and 
Severn canal. The eels now in the Thames were bred off 
the west coast of England, ascended the Severn in the usual 
manner, and thence found their way into well-plenished 
quarters in the eastward-flowing river. 
Judging from what has been recorded in the Jardin des 
Plantes of Paris, the life of an eel may be prolonged to a 
great number of years. Desmarest kept one there for thirty- 
seven seasons. For the first fifteen years, 1838 to 1853, it 
lay in an earthen pan, where it could not extend itself, but 
lay coiled up. It was regularly fed on beef in summer, but 
refused all food in the winter months. After 1853 it was 
treated to a larger tank in summer, but returned to its pan in 
winter. Its fate after 1875 has not been made known to me. 
On one occasion this eel was frozen in its pan, but revived 
after thawing with tepid water. There are numerous stories 
of eels recovering from being hard frozen. One such was told 
me by a Highland keeper, which I repeat without comment, 
except to say that I have no special reason to suspect that he 
was lying. One frosty morning early (I forget in what month) 
he was crossing a glade in a wood on the banks of the Teith 
at Blairdrummond. He showed me the place, and described 
the ground as being white with a heavy hoar. Noticing a 
quantity of straight sticks lying about, he picked up one, and 
was amazed to find that it was an eel, frozen stiff. He 
collected as many as he could carry conveniently, took them 
home, flung them in a corner of his kitchen, and sat down 
to breakfast. By the time he had finished his meal the floor 
was covered with wriggling eels! 
The destruction wrought by eels upon other fish is 
