22 ORIGIN OF THE SILVER EEL. 



wire cloth, of very fine texture, which 

 allowed nothing to pass out of, or into, 

 the well but the water: This well was 

 made in April, 1830; but no pregnant 

 beetle appeared in it till May, 1834, when 

 one came and deposited two eels, one of a 

 light yellow and the other of a dark brown 

 colour. To protect this well against all 

 intruders I put a stone on the well's mouth, 

 and only lifted it up when examining the 

 progress of the eels to maturity. I watched 

 the motions of these eels for six days for 

 hours together. One day I could perceive 

 the brown one come near the orifice by 

 which the water entered the well, making 

 efforts to enter it. That day I had the 

 pleasure to see the brown one come up to 

 the opening, which was about two inches in 

 diameter, near which were some roots of 

 grass growing. I could perceive that the 

 extremity in which the head would ulti- 

 mately appear was always put first when 

 in the act of swimming* It pushed its head 

 into the spring, round a root of grass, then 

 turning the other extremity, aiding the 

 motion by another root of grass releasing 



