ORIGIN OF THE SILVER EEL. 17 



of ranunculuses, I saw a beetle coming from 

 the garden wall, and approaching my fingers. 

 It passed towards the pump, which was a 

 few yards from me. I stopped it in its 

 journey, but could not turn it back. I 

 looked at it, and could perceive that its 

 abdomen was twice the size of any ordinary 

 beetle of the kind I had seen before. My 

 thoughts flashed back twenty-two years, to 

 the drain in my father's haugh when but a 

 boy. I always thought I would get the 

 query solved. "Why, this is the day, for 

 by what I can see, that insect has something 

 to do, otherwise why is it so intent on 

 reaching the water ?" I exclaimed. I followed 

 it to the pump ; there was a small pool near it, 

 about three feet broad. The beetle makes 

 for it, and swims over to the other side, 

 gets out of it a small way, then stands, 

 looks about a little, back it comes, swims 

 over again, and comes out at my feet in a 

 very troubled state. I could perceive now 

 two hair eels protruding from it, about the 

 fourth of an inch. From this, I thought it 

 would be the last time it would swim over 

 the pool ; when it came to the centre it sank, 

 c 



