EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING. 37 
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Mr. Dyer’s testimony, quoted above, is positive that eels as- 
cend the streams in the fall,and he points out that they do this 
in stormy weather, which is a curious statement when taken in 
connection with the following testimony of Mr. Chalmers, who 
insists that they descend the streams in the fall, but also says 
that they do so in stormy weather. It is possible that this idea 
of their descending in the fall comes from the fact of their 
moving about at that time, preparatory to spawning, especially 
as they could easily be taken in nets by being driven down 
stream, and could not be taken up stream against the current in 
an ordinary net stretched across the stream. Mr. Chalmers 
speaks as follows, after first stating that eels always descend in 
the fall : 
‘“ At the first heavy rain and wind-storm of a dark night, on 
or after the fall of the leaves, and every storm after until frost 
sets in, he would find eels moving. The harder and darker the 
night the greater the fisherman’s harvest. After the storm clears 
off and the water begins to get clear, the run stops until the 
next storm, when the eels move again. By holding the lantern 
close to the surface of the water you can occasionally see one 
pass tail first. In the same water we have helped catch several 
barrels full in a night, and for many nights in a season. We 
have caught them in early spring with hook inthe same stream, 
as plenty as if an eel had not left there the previous fall. The 
net will have to be visited at least every twenty or thirty min- 
utes, as we have known nets carried away from side stakes by 
weight of fish and leaves. Many eels will be found drowned in 
the net, while others are full of life and vigor. 
“THOMAS CHALMERS.” 
In suggesting these possibilities, 1 do not mean to say that 
eels do not breed in the salt water. Bertram, at p. 13 of his 
“ Harvest of the Sea,’ asserts this very positively, and I know 
nothing to the contrary, but I do know that they also breed in 
fresh water, and that on Long Island the young go down stream 
in the spring as soon as they are hatched. Absolutely mature 
eges are yet to be found; for although Mr. Blackford has found 
