26 ORIGIN OF THE SILVER EEL. 



the tube and a few grass stems along with it. 

 I then inserted this tube containing the eel 

 into the mouth of the spring, so as to allow 

 the water to flow through the tube from the 

 spring into the well. I visited the well 

 every month and examined the tube. I did 

 not observe much change in the eel for 

 three months. About the 1st of August it 

 began to grow large in diameter, and by 

 September I could discern the fins beginning 

 to appear, and by the 1st of October the 

 eyes were visible, and it was able to swim 

 away from your finger; and by the 1st of 

 November it was fairly formed and trying 

 to get out of the tube. I kept it until 

 May, 1843, and measured it. The dimen- 

 sions in every way corresponded with 

 those of the other two I had seven years 

 before. 



Two farmers were the first to credit my 

 statements concerning the origin of the 

 silver eel ; one of them had some land lying 

 near a marsh whose water ran over a pro- 

 jecting rock from 30 to 40 feet high, and 

 falling over it with such force as in no 

 part of its descent to touch the rock. They 



