MIGRATION OF EELS. 195 



autumnal flood begins to swell the rivers, 

 this fish tries to return to the sea ; but 

 numbers of the smaller ones hide themselves 

 during the winter in the mud, and many of 

 them form, as it were, masses together* 

 Various authors have recorded the migra- 

 tion of eels in a singular way, such as Dr. 

 Plot, who, in his History of Staffordshire, 

 says they pass in the night, across meadows, 

 from one pond to another : and Mr. Arde- 

 ron (in Trans. Royal Soc.) gives a distinct 

 account of small eels rising up the flood- 

 gates and posts of the water-works of the 

 city of Norwich ; and they made their way 

 to the water above, though the boards were 

 smooth planed, and five or six feet perpendi- 

 cular. He says, when they first rose out of 

 the water upon the dry board, they rested 

 a little which seemed to be till their slime 

 was thrown out, arid sufficiently glutinous 

 and then they rose up the perpendicular 

 ascent with the same facility as if they had 

 been moving on a plane surface. (Trans. 

 Abr. vol. ix. p. 311.) There can, I think, 

 be no doubt that they are assisted by their 

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