272 ANGLING. 



Blackfriar's Bridge, as far up the river as Chestrey, 

 although they probably make their way as far, 

 or farther than Oxford. So strong, indeed, is their 

 migratory disposition, that it is well known few 

 things will prevent their progress, as even 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 perform their 

 migrations, is annually proved in the neighbour- 

 hood 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 ascend 

 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 these little animals. The rapid and 

 unsteady motion of the boughs did not appear to 

 impede their progress."* 



* Gleanings in Natural History. Second Series. 



