EXPERIMENTS IN AUSTRALASIA 211 



lower reaches only, below certain unsurmount- 

 able falls above which no trout was to be found 

 until a number were carried up and placed 

 above the obstructions. Since then they have 

 multiplied exceedingly, and now afford excellent 

 sport. 



The life-history of that strange fish the eel, 

 is in some ways exactly the opposite of that of 

 the migratory Salmonidae. Modern research 

 has proved that this fish, which passes its adult 

 life in fresh water, returns once for all at the 

 time of reproduction to great oceanic depths ; 

 the young eels ascending our rivers when they 

 have assumed their final form, after passing 

 through strange transitional changes in the 

 sea. 



One can hardly discuss this subject without 

 adverting to the notable and interesting results 

 of experiments in Australasia. There fish 

 hatched from indubitable ova of English brown 

 trout have, within the life-time of men yet 

 middle-aged, developed to the size of 30 Ibs. 

 and upwards, have lost their red spots, assumed 

 the silvery livery with black cross spots, and 

 acquired the anadromous habit, descending to 

 the sea and re-ascending to fresh water for 

 purposes of reproduction ; changes of life and 

 form, in a brief season, analogous to those 



