THE FRESH WATERS 163 



The stickleback's sharp spines and fighting 

 temper protect him from larger enemies, for 

 even a pike hesitates about swallowing so 

 prickly a creature. But his curiosity is often 

 the undoing of him, for he will snap at the most 

 unlikely bait, even when food is abundant. 

 Their numbers are kept down by man, because 

 of the damage they do in eating the eggs of 

 the trout. 



THE STORY OF THE EEL 



Although the common eel (Anguilla vulgaris) 

 is not wholly a fresh-water animal, it spends 

 most of its life in this haunt, and this is the 

 best place for discussing its extraordinary life- 

 history. 



If we are on the look-out beside any of our 

 larger rivers during April and May, we may 

 have the good fortune to see the " eel-fare," as 

 it is called. Thousands upon thousands of tiny 

 "elvers," about 2^ inches long, and the thick- 

 ness of a bone knitting-needle, are making 

 their way from the sea up the rivers. They 

 keep close to the banks at each side and form 

 an unbroken procession that may take many 

 days to pass a particular spot. They travel 



