EEL. 783 



this time of the year.'' And now the wonder is that no one has discovered this beforej 

 for during all these long centuries, in which the question of the generation of Eels has 

 been an open one, the eggs have been in plain sight ; in fact, right under the noses of 

 the investigators. It is also singular that all the Eels observed so far in the markets 

 have been females. Mr. Blackford, after showing the ovaries to hia eel-dressers, di- 

 rected them to watch for any departure from this appearance, and some interest was- 

 being awakeaed in the old assertion of their being hermaphrodites, although no sper- 

 matozoa had been been found in connection with the ovaries, until the recent discovery 

 of a male Eel by Prof. Packard set the question of their unisezuality at rest. These 

 discoveries were being discussed in Mr. Blackford's office a short time ago by a few gen- 

 tlemen, among whom was Mr. Frederick Mather, the well known fish onltnrist, when a 

 specimen was brought from an Eel weighing six pounds. 



A portion was placed under the microscope, when the eggs appeared to be in shape of 

 ootogons, but which, Mr. Blackford stated, was caused by their pressing upon each 

 other. Mr. Mather took the ovary home, and, after carefully examining the eggs, con- 

 firms Mr. Blackford's statement of their globular form when separated, but finds that 

 the eggs, like those of all fishes before exclusion, are flaccid, and is of the opinion that an 

 increase in size and solidity would occur after they had been deposited by the fish and 

 the absorption of water and milt had taken place. The eggs varied so much in size 

 that a measurement by the micrometer of one or two did not give as fair an idea of their 

 dimensions as to place a number in a line, measure them, and count them under a low 

 power, by which means, with three different lots, Mr. Mather found that they measured 

 eighty to the inch, and when separated on the glass slide could be readily discerned by 

 the naked eye. Mr. Mather then proceeded to estimate the number of eggs contained 

 in this six-pound Eel, which was done by oarefally subdividing the mass until a small 

 portion contained a quantity which could be counted, and which was then multiplied by 

 the number of divisions, thus: The mass was halved, quartered, etc., seventeen times, 

 making the last section 1-131,072 of the whole. To avoid error, this was done- three 

 times, giving the first time sixty-eight eggs, or 8,912,896 in the whole. The second 

 trial gave seventy-seven eggs, or a total of 10,092,544, whUe the third yielded seventy- 

 one eggs, which showed the mass to contain 9,306,112. 



Considering the minuteness of the eggs, these different results are remarkably near each 

 other, and Mr. Mather fixes the numbers contained in this individual fish at 9,000,000, 

 which, when we consider that each of the ovaries was nearly a foot in length, and 

 about half an inch in diameter at the thickest part, does not seem to be at all exaggerated. 



The wonderful fecundity of Eels is shown in the immense numbers seen ascending the 

 streams in early summer, when each little elver of three inches probably represents 

 one hundred eggs, which, from being devoured, infertility, and other causes, have failed 

 to arrive at his length. 



ORDER yil. NEMATOGNATHI. THE CAT-FISHES. 



This order, easily recognizable at sight by the long barbels, dorsal and pectoral spines, 

 and the absence of true scales, is distinguished by the following osteological characters, 

 according to Professor Cope : 



" Farietala and snpraoccipital confluent ; four anterior vertebra ossified, an ossicula 

 anditns, no mesopteryglnm. Basis oranii and pterotio bone simple ; no coronoid bone. 



