26 FISH CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
but are often speared in considerable numbers through the mud. 
This is done with a broad spear, a foot across, which is thrust 
into the bottom without special direction, but in such localities 
as the fish are in the habit of seeking for hibernation. These 
places are probably springy, with the fresh water oozing from the 
bottom and penetrating upward through the mud. It seems, from 
the article above quoted, as read before the Wernerian Society, 
that the habits of eels in England are substantially the same as 
in this country: they are dormant during the winter and begin 
to move and take food about the middle of April. Here, while 
the young make their appearance in large bodies by April rst, 
the mature eels do not feed, and are not taken in eel-pots until 
later, and probably have not left their winter quarters. So it 
would seem either that the eggs are deposited in the autumn, 
which is probably the fact, or that impregnation takes place, 
not in the ordinary way, but by bodily connection. 
Mr. Atkins, and many other gentlemen, insist that spawning- 
eels descend the rivers in the fall to the salt water, and point to 
the construction of eel-weirs as proof; but it is possible that 
they are not descending, but are only roaming about looking 
for an appropriate place to spawn. They are caught in weirs 
late in the season, when the ova must be well matured, as was 
the case with those taken by Mr. Atkins, and just before they 
hibernate. They would scarcely get to the salt water before 
they would have to spawn, if they were to do so before hiberna- 
ting, and yet it is a general rule that fish cannot change instantly 
from a fresh to a salt water element, or wice-versa, and never 
spawn immediately after making such change. Salmon remain 
for months in the running streams before they deposit their 
egos, and return to the sea with almost equal deliberation. Ex- 
periments have been made in the New York Aquarium in mov- 
ing fish from one of these elements to the other, and although I 
cannot speak positively about eels, sudden changes killed most 
varieties. I had long ago ascertained that even minnows could 
not be taken from salt water and placed in fresh ponds without 
killing them. If the eels have sufficient vitality to endure the 
change, it must be a shock to them which would be disastrous 
at so critical a time as that of spawning. 
