342 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



feeder, and its habits are much different to the other species. Hence 

 it is conceivable that the habits of one might not be suitable to the 

 other. 



My own deliberate opinion is, that adult eels pass on where possible, as 

 in the Thames, to the brackish water and there spawn ; if such a migra- 

 tion be not possible, or the season being unremittingly cold does not 

 warrant the fish in facing its inclemencies, the said eel remains until its 

 ova is matured for shedding, which it does in the covert it has selected. 

 More than one is always found in a particular locality, and thus sexual 

 impregnation may be effected. Should the season, however, be opportune, 

 they glide on the warm floods, and enter the sea, never to return on the 

 Thames unfortunately. The elders, however, return, if not in immense 

 clusters, yet singly and in reduced assemblages. Their climbing powers 

 are well known, and I have frequently seen illustrations of it. Having 

 reached the upper parts of the river, they feed ravenously, and grow as 

 they go. The spawning power may be retarded in its developement, for 

 aught I know, until a certain size or age be attained, and it is possible 

 that certain portions of ova may be shed on the passage down, seeing 

 that it matures successively. 



During the sultry nights of summer eels are very lively, and this 

 liveliness is especially marked during thundery weather. Strangely 

 enough, I find Shakespeare also notices this (" Pericles, Prince of 

 Tyre," act iv., sc. 3) : " Boult : I warrant you, mistress, thunder shall 

 not so awake the beds of eels as my giving out her beauty," &c. It is, 

 therefore, certain that the " immortal bard" had noticed the effect of 

 the atmospheric tumult on this fish, as he noticed everything else, 

 correctly. On such occasions it is said in certain parts of England that 

 the eel emits some sort of sound. This is said to resemble a soft moan, 

 occasionally emanating from lakes in which eels abound, especially when 

 a storm is pending. To this, however, I should not have called atten- 

 tion but for the fact that a very experienced traveller assures me that 

 he is inclined to accept the opinion, rife among sailors, that the sea eel 

 actually emits sounds of a similar nature. Be this as it may, it is certain 

 that in the days of old Eome the mursenas, or sea eels, were supposed to 

 have a regular language "low and sweet," says an ancient writer, 

 "and with an intonation so fascinating that few could resist its 

 influence ' ' ; and it is also said that the Emperor Augustus even pre- 

 tended to understand their words. 



Of course, that some fish really have the power of emitting sounds is 

 undeniable ; witness the " croaking " trout of Clarracwdydy pools. 



As to eels travelling^over land, that is, I believe, very well established. 

 A friend (whose name for obvious reasons I suppress, but whose veracity 



