THE SHADS, THE EELS, AND THE LAMPREYS 297 



foul was the river that Dutch fishermen had to give up 

 bringing live eels in the wells of their boats for the London 

 market, because they were poisoned so soon as they entered 

 the Thames. How, then, did the eels in the middle and 

 upper reaches continue to exist after the annual eel-fare 

 ceased ? The solution is found through the Thames and 

 Severn canal. The eels now in the Thames were bred off 

 the west coast of England, ascended the Severn in the usual 

 manner, and thence found their way into well-plenished 

 quarters in the eastward-flowing river. 



Judging from what has been recorded in the Jardin des 

 Plantes of Paris, the life of an eel may be prolonged to a 

 great number of years. Desmarest kept one there for thirty- 

 seven seasons. For the first fifteen years, 1838 to 1853, it 

 lay in an earthen pan, where it could not extend itself, but 

 lay coiled up. It was regularly fed on beef in summer, but 

 refused all food in the winter months. After 1853 it was 

 treated 'to a larger tank in summer, but returned to its pan in 

 winter. Its fate after 1875 has not been made known to me. 



On one occasion this eel was frozen in its pan, but revived 

 after thawing with tepid water. There are numerous stories 

 of eels recovering from being hard frozen. One such was told 

 me by a Highland keeper, which I repeat without comment, 

 except to say that I have no special reason to suspect that he 

 was lying. One frosty morning early (I forget in what month) 

 he was crossing a glade in a wood on the banks of the Teith 

 at Blairdrummond. He showed me the place, and described 

 the ground as being white with a heavy hoar. Noticing a 

 quantity of straight sticks lying about, he picked up one, and 

 was amazed to find that it was an eel, frozen stiff. He 

 collected as many as he could carry conveniently, took them 

 home, flung them in a corner of his kitchen, and sat down 

 to breakfast. By the time he had finished his meal the floor 

 was covered with wriggling eels ! 



The destruction wrought by eels upon other fish is 



