ORIGIN OF THE SILVER EEL. 35 



worms to be parasites. I simply mention 

 the fact to prevent the reader confounding 

 it with the eel-beetle and its offspring. 



I come now to describe the pillars on 

 which my theory rests the habits and 

 history of two beetles. They are about three- 

 quarters of an inch long, and are one in 

 species, although two in colour. One is of 

 a dusky yellow colour about the legs and 

 belly; the other darker, and the more nume- 

 rous of the two. Both have eels, and the 

 same variety of colour prevails among the 

 eels as among the beetles. 



I find the following remarks concerning 

 the eel-beetle among some old notes on 

 insects. After two eels had been discharged 

 from a beetle, I examined its inside and 

 found nothing in the shape of intestines re- 

 maining ; a thin film being all the abdomen 

 contained. Again, some months afterwards, 

 I examined a few more, and in them I found 

 nothing but eels. This decided the matter 

 to my mind, and my opinion is that the 

 intestines are the eels. 



It may be said that the produce of the 

 eel-beetle is a parasite* I was of this 

 D 2 



