314 THE FAMILY OF EELS. 



to reach at last some moss, the support of which they hastily 

 made use of to secure success. It was amusing to observe 

 that it would sometimes happen that a head would be thrust 

 out into the current, where observation shewed that it ran by 

 too strong to be encountered, and then it was withdrawn to 

 seek a more favourable spot; while others venturing thus too 

 far were washed down the current, and had the labour to go 

 over again. On one occasion while watching this continued 

 succession of Eels, a Flounder made two attempts to stem this 

 downward current, but these efforts were without success. 



Similar to the extended notice of this migration that we have 

 given is one by Mr. Arderon, in the Transactions of the Royal 

 Society, vol. xliv, who saw them as they passed up the flood- 

 gates of the water-works at Norwich, of the height of six feet, 

 in order to reach the water above; and we close our account 

 of this interesting subject of the influence of instinct with an 

 extract bearing on the same, from Jesse's second series of 

 "Gleanings in Natural History," where, referring to the Thames, 

 he says, "At the locks at Teddington and Hampton the young 

 Eels have been seen to ascend the large posts of the flood- 

 gates, in order to make their way when the gates have been 

 shut longer than usual. Those which die stick to the posts; 

 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. A curious instance 

 of the means which young Eels will have recourse to in order 

 to accomplish their migrations, is annually proved in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bristol. Near that city there is a large pond, 

 immediately adjoining which is a stream. On the bank between 

 these two waters a large tree grows, the branches of which 

 hang into the pond. By means of these branches the young 

 Eels climb up into the tree, and from thence let themselves 

 drop into the stream below, thus migrating to far-distant waters, 

 where they increase in size, and become useful and beneficial 

 to man. A friend of mine, who was a casual witness of this 

 circumstance, informed me that the tree appeared to be quite 

 alive with those little animals. The rapid and unsteady motion 

 of the boughs did not appear to impede their progress." 



Mr. Thompson informs us, from Mr. Patterson's work on 

 Zoology for schools, that in Ireland fishermen have had the 



