234 SALMONIA. 



side of the Wolf Rock, and dark ones on 

 the other. The conger has breathing tubes, 

 which are said not to be found in the other 

 eel ; but to determine this would require a 

 more minute examination than has yet been 

 made. Both the conger and common eel 

 have fringes along the air bladder, which are 

 probably the ovaria ; and Sir E. Home thinks 

 them hermaphrodite, and that the seminal 

 vessels are close to the kidneys. I hope this 

 great comparative anatomist will be able to 

 confirm his views by new dissections, and 

 some chemical researches upon the nature of 

 the fringes and the supposed melt. If vivi- 

 parous, and the fringes contain the ova, one 

 mother must produce tens of thousands, the 

 ova being remarkably small ; but it appears 

 more probable, that they are oviparous, and 

 that they deposit their ova in parts of the 

 sea near deep basins, which remain warm in 

 winter. This might be ascertained by ex^ 

 periment, particularly on the coasts of the 

 Mediterranean. I cannot find, that they 

 haunt the Arctic ocean, which is probably of 

 too low a temperature to suit their feelings or 



