CONCERNING SMALL FRY. 87 



as though to aid their progress ; though where 

 the water is logged or shallow, each fish moves 

 at its individual pleasure. A host of aquatic 

 creatures follow the " eel-fare " and feed upon 

 its members. Herons, kingfishers, coots, water- 

 hens, and grebes may be found in its wake, filling 

 themselves to repletion on its tiny members. 

 There are other enemies beside these, for many 

 obstacles bar the course, and at this time elvers 

 suffer great mortality. It has been truly remarked 

 that the passing up a river of the young eels is 

 one of the most curious sights in natural history ; 

 and the perseverance of these little creatures in 

 overcoming all obstructions they may encounter 

 is quite extraordinary. The large flood-gates, 

 sometimes fifteen feet in height, to be met with on 

 the Thames, might be supposed sufficient to bar 

 the progress of a fish the size of a darning- 

 needle. But young eels have a wholesome idea 

 that nothing can stop them ; consequently nothing 

 does. As one writer says, speaking of the way 

 in which they ascend flood-gates and such-like 

 barriers: "Those which die stick to the post; 

 others, which get a little higher, meet with the 

 same fate, until at last a sufficient layer of them 

 is formed to enable the rest to overcome the 

 difficulty of the passage. The mortality resulting 

 from such ' forlorn hopes ' greatly helps to ac- 



