4o8 Roosevelt Wild Life Annals 



breed and are supposed to die there. The Eel is thus not only remarkable for its 

 great changes of habitat with age, but also for enduring a great variety of con- 

 ditions in fresh water. There are many reports of its occurrence on land. 

 Mr. W. H. Weston, Division Chief of the N. Y. State Conservation Commission, 

 and Mr. J. D. Black, Protector, inform us that while patrolling, late in May, the 

 lower parts of Chittenango Creek they saw by the aid of a lantern many Eels 

 crawling about in the swamp. Their attention was attracted to the place by a 

 splashing of the water, and strange sounds. Several times they saw Eels crawling 

 about on the north bank, among the grass and weeds near the mouth of the Creek, 

 on dark, rainy nights ; and Mr. Black saw them in large numbers on the overflowed 

 meadows opposite the protectors' camp on Chittenango Creek, during a day and 

 one night late in May. 



Kendall and Goldsborough ('08, p. t,j) say: "In lakes during the daytime 

 the Eel remains in rather deep water, approaching the shore at night to feed. 

 Specimens are caught in these lakes in water from 30 to 60 feet deep. In winter, 

 in cold localities like New England, the Eel burrows in soft mud, and there 

 hibernates." Fowler ('06, p. 120) states that at Cape May, "They generally 

 burrow six or eight inches down, sometimes a little further, and often they become 

 more or less quiet or dormant and are speared. They appear to remain concealed 

 according to temperature and never burrow in warm weather." Mitchill ("15, p. 

 360) notes that in winter Eels lie covered in the mud and are taken in great 

 numbers by spearing. 



In Oneida Lake there is considerable fishing with "tip ups" through the ice, 

 but we have heard of no Eels being caught by this method, although we have 

 made inquiries of several experienced men. So far as we know Eels are not 

 speared in this lake while hibernating in the mud. as is reported to be done in 

 some other places. 



Food. Meek ('16, pp. 154-155) summarizes _the food of eels as follows: 

 "During the period of their life in fresh water Eels feed on all kinds of animal food 

 and garbage, even on one another, fish and fish ova, insect larvae, crawfish, frogs, 

 water fowl, water rats, aquatic plants, and other vegetable foods. They are said 

 even to leave the ponds and rivers and canals and streams to feed on jilants in 

 the fields. At all events, they have repeatedly been seen on land wriggling their 

 way through wet grass. They are most active at night, and it is then the feeding 

 is mainly done and the migrations from ponds and streams take ]ilace." Dr. 

 Jordan ('05, Vol. 2, p. 147) gives the following quotation from Ballon, remarking 

 that Eels are among the most voracious of carnivorous fishes. "They eat most 

 inland fishes, except the garfish and the chub. Investigation of six hundred 

 stomachs bv Oswego fishermen showed that the latter bony fish never had a iilace 

 in their bill of fare. They are particularly fund of game-fishes, and show the 

 delicate taste of a connoisseur in their selection from choice trout, bass, pickerel, 

 and .shad. They fear not to attack any object when disposed. ... On their 

 hunting excursions they overturn huge and small stones alike, working for hours 

 if necessary, beneath which they find si)ecies of shrimp and crawfish, of which 

 they are exceedingly fond." The stomacii of an b'.el ( \'o. 1524') in the Kooscvcit 

 Station collection from Otisco Lake, taken at night. July 16, i()i-. with hook and 



