FISHES OF NEW YORK 171 



pectoral fins, small and slitlike. The beginning of the dorsal 

 is at a distance of nearly twice the length of the head behind 

 the gill opening. The anal begins still farther back, and the 

 vent is close to its origin. The dorsal and anal fins are con- 

 tinuous around the tail. Hight of body nearly two thirds the 

 length of the head, which is contained about eight and one 

 fourth times in the total. The distance from the gill opening 

 to the vent equals two and one half times the length of the 

 head. The color varies greatly, but is usually dark brown, more 

 or less tinged with yellow; lower parts paler. In the male 

 referred to the upper parts were silvery gray sharply separated 

 from the satiny white of the abdomen. In the eel the lateral 

 line is very distinct. 



The eel appears to have only one common name. It is one of 

 the beet known and most singular of our fishee, yet its breeding 

 habits are even now enveloped in doubt. The species ascends 

 the rivers of eastern North America from the Gulf of St Law- 

 rence to Mexico, the former being the northern limit of the 

 species on our coast. In the Ohio and Mississippi valleys it i& 

 extremely common, and its range has been much extended by the 

 opening of canals and by artificial introduction. It has been 

 transferred to the Pacific coast. 



The eel has been known to exceed a length of 4 feet- 

 The average length of individuals however is about 2 feet. The 

 female is larger than the male, paler in color, and is different 

 in certain other particulars, which will be mentioned in the 

 description of the species. 



This is a very important food fish. It is caught chiefly when 

 descending the rivers in the fall. In 1869 about a ton of eel& 

 were caught in a single fish basket above Harrisburg. 

 At the present time this method of capture is illegal. 

 Both adults and young eels ascend the streams in 

 spring, the young coming in millions, but in the fall 

 run small eels are seldom seen. Till a comparatively recent 

 date it was not certainly known that the eels have eggs which 

 are developed outside of the body. Even now the breeding 



