CONCERNING SMALL FRY. 87 
as though to aid their progress; though where 
the water is logged or shallow, each fish moves 
at its individual pleasure. A host of aquatic 
creatures follow the “eel-fare” and feed upon 
its members. Herons, kingfishers, coots, water- 
hens, and grebes may be found in its wake, filling 
themselves to repletion on its tiny members. 
There are other enemies beside these, for many 
obstacles bar the course, and at this time elvers 
suffer great mortality. Ithas been truly remarked 
that the passing up a river of the young eels is 
one of the most curious sights in natural history ; 
and the perseverance of these little creatures in 
overcoming all obstructions they may encounter 
is quite extraordinary. The large flood-gates, 
sometimes fifteen feet in height, to be met with on 
the Thames, might be supposed sufficient to bar 
the progress of a fish the size of a darning- 
needle. But young eels have a wholesome idea 
that nothing can stop them; consequently nothing 
does. As one writer says, speaking of the way 
in which they ascend flood-gates and such-like 
barriers :—‘‘ Those which die stick to the post; 
others, which get a little higher, meet with the 
same fate, until at last a sufficient layer of them 
is formed to enable the rest to overcome the 
difficulty of the passage. The mortality resulting 
from such ‘forlorn hopes’ greatly helps to ac- 
