MY GARDEN. 



July, August, and September, and even later. Eels when running up 

 are very pertinacious, and seem to be governed by an irrepressible 

 instinct. We then see them ascending the Tumbling Bay. Sometimes 

 the gardeners have found an eel on the path of the fernery, evidently 

 seeking the river. Sometimes, when they could not ascend the Tumbling 

 Bay, they have been seen wriggling amongst the roses near. At 

 Twickenham I have seen quantities of young eels about three inches 

 in length trying to ascend a vertical moss-covered wall over which a 

 small shoot of water was flowing. The small eels which run up my 

 stream are about a foot in length, though some are much larger. 



In the migration up stream we catch them in wire baskets in which 

 a bunch of red flowers or some red tape is fixed ; but we take very 

 few in this manner. 



The great migration of eels down stream occurs with the first 

 discoloration of water in summer : whenever a thunderstorm breaks over 

 Croydon in summer, which discolours the water, we get abundance of 

 fine eels in the great eel-trap, especially if the night be hot. 



An Eel-trap is probably an engine peculiar to this country. The 

 Huningue commissioners were not aware of its existence when they 

 favoured my garden with a visit. It is an important device, as it 

 enables us to procure a large amount of human food which would 

 otherwise be lost. 1 



An eel-trap is really a sort of rough filter, which lets the water 

 through but retains the eels. The filter is constructed of bars of wood 

 about an inch and a half square nailed to a strong framework (fig. 

 1 101), which is placed below the flood-gates and arranged at an angle. 

 so that the water is forcibly driven through when the gate is drawn : at 

 the farther end there is also a vertical grating about two feet high. 



1 Receipt for Stewed Eels. Take three pounds of eels after they are cleaned, cut 

 them in pieces about three inches long ; flour them, and fry in lard or dripping until 

 half done ; have some stock ready, into which place the eels. Then mix together 

 two teaspoonfuls of curry-powder, one of anchovy, one of soy. and one of Windsor 

 or Reading sauce, one wine-glassful of port wine and a squeeze of lemon, and a little 

 Cayenne to your taste. The stock should be flavoured with herbs and an onion, and 

 thickened. Stew for about twenty minutes. 



