286 THE COMMON EEL. 



they have established the fact to their own satisfaction by experi- 

 ment. " Repairing to a rivulet,'' he observes, " they stick a hair 

 in the mud at the bottom, both because they think the incipient 

 animal derives some nourishment from the ground, as to prevent 

 its being swept away from their observation. On their return to 

 the spot the next day ; perhaps the admiring group gather round ; 

 one with his fingers touches the hair, which by this time being 

 rendered moist and pliable, exhibits in the rippling stream, a trem- 

 ulous motion that is unhesitatingly ascribed to animation. It is 

 allowed to float down the current, and the urchin philosophers de- 

 part fully persuaded of the possibility of rearing and planting beds 

 of eels." 



Mr. Pennant however, to whose opinions the greatest deference 

 is most justly due, and who of course discarded all the above ab- 

 surd notions, has stated that the immediate generation of eels has 

 been sufficiently proved to be in the ordinary course of nature, and 

 that they are viviparous, producing their young alive ; but still he 

 favours us with no one single instance, in which this satisfactory 

 proof has occurred. And Mr. Couch, who has searched more deeply 

 into these matters than most men, maintains directly the contrary 

 position, contending that they are produced from roe, which he 

 considers is contained in the pearly substance which lies along the 

 spine of this fish ; and his opinion is confirmed by that of Jesse, 

 Yarrell, and Dr. Mitchell of New York ; the latter of whom states 

 that the roes or ovary of eels may be seen by those who will 

 look for them at the proper season, like those of other fishes. 

 Eels generally deposit their spawn about the latter end of April, 

 and are considered to be at their worst in May. It is not however 

 known how long a time expires before the spawn becomes vivified. 



During the whole of the winter, eels remain buried in the mud 

 in a torpid state, during which time they exist without taking any 

 kind of food ; but for this abstinence, they make ample amends 

 when they issue forth, being by far the most voracious feeders of 

 the whole finny race, devouring almost everything that comes in 

 their way. They bite freely at worms, minnows, and salmon 

 spawn, either preserved or fresh, and should be fished for in the 

 same manner as for the perch or tench. Eels generally run off 

 with the bait as soon as they seize hold of it, and never cease to 

 move about with it, though they seldom wander far away from the 

 spot they first seized upon it. Time should be given them when 



