184 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK 



fresh and salt waters; those living in the former belong- 

 ing generally to the restricted genus Anguilla. Species of 

 Anguilla occur in greater or less number throughout the 

 United States, being, however, very rare in many if not most 

 of the waters of the Mississippi basin. Popular opinion 

 assigns to these species a viviparous reproduction, owing to 

 the apparent absence of individuals containing eggs. The 

 ova are yet, probably, present in a due proportion of the 

 supposed males, escaping observation by their diminutive 

 size. The Eel hardly yields to any other fish in the power 

 of sustaining a deprivation of its proper element for a con- 

 siderable length of time. To transport these animals over a 

 considerable space, all that is necessary is to pack them in 

 damp grass or some similar substance. They even leave the 

 water spontaneously at night in search of food, or of a body 

 of water bettei* suited to their convenience than the one in 

 which they may happen to be placed. Eels are said to be 

 very susceptible to magnetic or galvanic influence : the sim- 

 ple contact of a knife being sufficient to paralyze them. 

 When a magnet is presented to the dish in which the living 

 animal may happen to be, violent contortions, a painful 

 gasping after breath, and other signs of inconvenience, are 

 reported to be exhibited. 



"The Gymnotidse, highly interesting on account of their 

 electrical properties, are characterized by the anterior position 

 of the anus, the entire absence of dorsal fin, the extent of the 

 anal, and the position of the gill-opening. The best known 

 species, Gymnotus ehctricus or Electric Eel, is a native of the 

 tropical portions of South America. It attains to a great 

 size, being sometimes over six feet in length, and almost a 

 full load for a strong man to carry. The electric or galvanic 

 apparatus consists of four longitudinal bundles, disposed in 

 two pairs, one larger above, and a smaller below, against the 



