TENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 123 
hatching, and do not ascend from the salt to fresh water while 
they are in the fry state. Fish generally go down stream tail first 
and head up stream, and inexperienced observers would conclude 
they were ascending, but they are only feeling their way 
cautiously along. The screens in the troughs at my place were 
so arranged, that they showed distinctly which way the body 
of eels was moving; individuals often returning on their course 
as salmon do when playing about the mouth of a river, and pre- 
paring to seek their spawning grounds in the upper waters, but 
the great mass descending regularly although gradually. The 
young not much longer or thicker than a big pin, semi-trans- 
lucent, would collect in a solid body first above, not below the 
upper screen, then if undisturbed they would work their way 
through this and collect in the same way above the next, and so 
on, down past three screens and through two preserves. They 
were never seen in considerable numbers below any obstruction, 
although single ones would remount the trough once ina while. 
Large eels begin moving in our fresh water ponds in March, 
and as the young appear about April rst, it is probable the par- 
ents spawn in early spring. The young then descend to the 
salt water where they grow. This is the habit with all other 
migratory fish. Why should eels be an exception? They are 
caught in the fall in the larger rivers, and are generally supposed 
to be then seeking the sea, but it may be that they are ascending 
the rivers then. 
Mr. Hewuirr: On nights and rainy days they try to ascend, 
when coming from sea. Then they go in May. Where they 
go I don’t know. 
RECESS. 
PROFESSOR GOODE: One or two points I beg to submit. I 
have no desire to contradict Mr. Roosevelt. Have not made any 
investigations myself, and only stand on the assertions made by 
friends in Germany. If we admit Mr. Roosevelt’s theory what 
are we going to do with the observers who see them going up 
stream. Eels are seen on dry land—going up dams and in 
crawling up, have heads up. Many have been seen stopped on 
