474 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [12] 



organs; (3) the lighter color of the. female, green on the back and yellow 

 or yellowish on the lower side, the back of the male generally being a 

 dark green, often almost black, whilst its sides have invariably a metallic 

 glitter. I often found eels having a bronze color, which were always 

 eels with a Syrski organ — and their lower side white; (4) a very striking 

 difference in the height of the dorsal fin. All females have a higher and 

 broader dorsal fin than eels with the lobe-organs of equal size; and 

 finally (5) the generally — for it is not always the case — larger diameter of 

 the eye in eels with lobe-organs. Eels with particularly small eyes are 

 nearly always females, whilst eels with a Syrski organ have generally 

 large eyes, although many female eels have also large eyes. 



The following measurements are the averages of a very large number 

 of eels which I examined, and may be of general interest; a is the total 

 length of the eel, b the breadth of the point of the snout between the 

 nostrils, c the breadth of the snout between the eyes, d the length of 

 the mouth from the center of the eye to the point, e diameter of the eye, 

 /length of the head to the gill aperture, g height of the dorsal fin; all 

 these measurements are in millimeters: 



By observing these differences, and paying special attention to the 

 height or narrowness of the live eel, eels with Syrski organs have been 

 successfully picked out from among a large number of eels in the Trieste 

 fish market. Absolute certainty in recognizing eels by these marks can 

 of course not be guaranteed. If without knowing these distinguishing 

 marks, with the exception of the first, one indiscriminately picks out eels 

 from a large number measuring not more than 45 centimeters in length, 

 he will on an average find among 10 eels 8 females, and 2 with lobe-organs ; 

 but if every one of the distinguishing marks are carefully observed, this 

 ratio is reversed, and 8 eels with Syrski organs are found among every 

 10. 



It was to be expected that Syrski's discovery would revive interest 

 in the eel question. This was, however, not the case — at least so far as 

 the general public was concerned — until the beginning of the year 1877. 

 During the spring and summer of that year all German and Austrian 

 journals and periodicals contained articles and notices regarding the 

 eel question. Among other things the following notice made the round 

 of the press : " In spite of all our modern aids, science has not yet suc- 

 ceeded in clearing up the mystery of the propagation of the eel. The 

 German Fishery Association at Berlin, will, therefore, pay a reward of 



