202 



Marvels of the Universe 



shape. While this transformation is taking place the blood is taking on its characteristic red colour, 

 and the fins are developing. By the time these tiny migrants have reached the rivers up which they 

 are to ascend in vast hosts they are of about the size of darning-needles. In what enormous hosts 

 these tiny eels, or " elvers," as the}' are called, invade the rivers of the west coast of England may 

 be gathered , from the fact that in the Severn they were caught in cartloads, and pressed into a 

 " cake " known as " eelfare." Happily this wasteful practice has ceased. How they make their 



way from the deep sea off the 

 west coast of Ireland into the 

 rivers, not only of Ireland, but 

 also England, west, south and east, 

 is a mystery. A few find their 

 way into Scotch rivers, but these 

 are comparatively neglected. No 

 less wonderful is the manner in 

 which these tiny travellers ascend 

 weirs and locks, and make their 

 way overland to isolated pools and 

 ponds. 



Such journeys are always made 

 by night, when the grass is 

 wet with dew. Sooner or later 

 these tiny travellers come to the 

 end of their toilsome journey, 

 and comfortably settle down till, 

 maturity attained, the hunger for 

 procreation seizes them, and they 

 return to the salt sea which gave 

 them birth, there to la}' their eggs 

 and die. 



Until quite recently the facts 

 relating to the birth and death of 

 eels was one of the profound 

 mysteries of Nature. Difference 

 of sex could not be discovered ; 

 elvers known to develop into 

 mature eels were known to ascend 

 the rivers in millions every year ; 

 mature eels were known to descend 

 the rivers to the sea every year, 

 but never known to return. In 

 consequence many wild fancies explaining the origin of eels were in general circulation, not one of 

 which could be regarded by the naturalist as possessing an atom of probability. 



The frog of which ment on has been made is the Paradox Frog of South America. In the 

 tadpole stage this creature attains the enormous length of ten inches, and 'of this no less than 

 seven inches is taken up by the tail, which, as ma\' be seen in the photograph, is of huge size. 

 As the animal nears maturity this tail slowly shrinks, so that by the time the adult, tailless stage 

 is attained the total length of the animal does not exceed two and a half inches, and commonly 

 not more than two inches ! Thus while the backward growth of the eel is but a temporary phase, 

 in the frog it is permanent. 



li. iiuhlll&Oll. 



TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE EEL. 



The Eel when ne\vly-hatclieci is transparent and ribbon-like, as shown in the 

 first drawing. It gradually gets smaller and thicker, until it becomes small and 

 round as in the lowest figure, which is known as an Elver. From this point it 

 again increases in size until it becomes a full-grown Eel. 



