oG(3 HABITS OF THE EEL. 



chiefly ou the top of the water. Wherever masses of weeds lie, and 

 what is called the cow-weed grows the longest, there Eels do congre- 

 gate, to bask in the sun by day, to enjoy by night the warmth left in 

 the weeds by the sun, and there, while thus luxuriating, to snap at and 

 catch the myriads of gnats, moths, flies, and other insects that seek the 

 weeds for food or rest, and by damping their wings become an easy 

 prey to their ambushed assailants. In waiting for the otter or watch- 

 ing the river, I have often sat in my boat embayed in weeds, and seen 

 and heard the Eels thus occupied ; and near and within these weeds, in 

 ihe particular weather alluded to, the wire-traps, nets, and snig-pots take 

 best. The haunts of Eels are quite as variable as the weather. In 

 warm, still weather seek them on the rapids and near weeds either 

 waving on the surface of the water or in floating masses of detached 

 weeds that the eddies of the stream have wound and kept in one place. 

 In blowing, cooler, or rainy weather, then look for them in the still 

 ditches. If a flush of water comes, and a little shallow stream run- 

 ning from or into the main river becomes fuller than usual, then let 

 all the captu ring-gear be set to take them on, to them, this delicious 

 change of ground, for against this stream they will work as long as it 

 is freshened. In one night, in a little stream of this sort, I took thirty 

 pounds weight of Eels." 



Like several fishes which have already been mentioned. Eels are very 

 tenacious of life, and are able to live for a long time when taken out 

 of water, owing to a simple but beautiful modification of structure, 

 which retains a sufficient amount of moisture to keep the gills in a 

 damp state and able to perform their natural functions. These fishes 

 have been seen crawling over considerable distances, evidently either in 

 search of water, their own dwelling-place being nearly dried, or in quest 

 of some running stream in whose waters they might descend to the sea, 

 after the manner of their race. 



Toward the latter end of summer the Eels migrate toward the sea, 

 and it is found that these fishes can live in either fresh or salt water 

 with equal ease, the mouths of rivers being favored localities. It some- 

 times happens that even in our seaport-towns and marine watering- 

 places the common river Eel is caught by those who are angling in the 

 sea for marine fish. This quality is peculiarly valuable in the Eel, as 

 It enables the Dutch fishermen, who annually supply our markets with 

 vast numbers of these fish, to bring them across the sea in vessels that 

 are fitted with " wells " pierced for the transmission of the sea-water 

 through which the vessel is sailing. 



^ The tenacity of life possessed by this fish is really remarkable ; and 

 It IS worthy of notice that the best mode of killing Eels is to grasp 

 them by the neck and slap their tails smartly against a stone or post, 

 ihe muscular irritability of the body is wonderfully enduring, and 



