However, with most commendable energy, 

 and unceasing determination to elicit truth, 

 " T. Gr." again comes to the question on the 

 3rd inst.-r- 



PnorAGATioN of Eels.— Your correspon- 

 dent, "G. H.," of Finedon Hall, says " <T. G.' 

 denies the possibility of eels breeding in fresh 

 water. We have here a pond, covering three or 

 four acres, which swarms with eels of all sizes: 

 I have caught them from the size of my little 

 finger up to the weight of five pounds, &c." 

 This is rather too strong. I don't deny the 

 possibility of eels being bred in freshwater, I 

 only deny the probability. The expression I 

 used was that I did not believe they were bred 

 in fresh water at all; and I distinctly stated that 

 my not having seen these things (eel spawn, 

 &c.), did not prove that other persons had not 

 done so; but to the question. " G. H." says 

 that he has caught "them of all sizes, from the 

 thickness of his little finger to five pounds; no 

 doubt he may have done so; but did he catch 

 them of the thickness of a crow's quill, and 

 three inches long? because that is the size at 

 which they usually ascend the rivers. He says 

 his pond does not communicate with any river. 

 Is there no escape of water from it at all? I 

 mean, is the evaporation from its surface equal 

 to the supply of water; if not, where does the 

 surplus go to ? Does it not directly or indirectly 

 flow into a river, or the sea? I am more in- 

 clined to think this is the case, because " G. H." 

 says he has taken 1 cwt. at <sl time from a 

 box which the water flows through at the bottom 

 of the sluice-board. This is exceedingly like 

 what is done here and elsewhere, from July to 

 the end of November, when the eels are on their 

 downward migration. Will "G. H." be kind 

 enough to say whether he does catch the bulk 

 of his, about the same time. Will he also say 

 whether the eels he catches are not the silver eels? 

 and Will he also state whether he does not catch 

 them principally after heavy rains have in- 

 creased the flow of water out of the pond? If 

 he answers these questions in the affirmative, I 

 shall still think I am right, and would request him 

 to keep a sharp look-out after rains in May and 

 June, when I think he ivould probably see the grigs 

 passing through his box into the pond. If on the 

 other hand there is no escape of water from the 

 pond at any time, I must admit I am wrong ; 

 but at present I don't know how to reconcile 

 this impounding the water so completely with 

 what he says about the flow of water through 

 the box at the bottom of the sill. Where does 

 the water flow to? What is this sill for? — T. G. 



Here the matter rests. We anxiously 

 await any further information on this sub- 

 ject, and shall be happy to give insertion 

 to any communications which may tend to 

 show u how" eels really are generated. 

 " Microscopes" are all very well, and the 

 good folks of Worcester may have taken " a 

 long sight" at the supposed ovary of an 

 eel ; Ave still, however, prefer the use of our 

 own good eyes ; and above all, the exercise 

 of sound common sense. The days of 

 Munchausen are gone by. The Baron has it 

 " all his own way" no longer ! 



SYMPTOMS OF WINTER. 



Those two beautiful and well-known birds, 

 the fieldfare and the redwing, are the first 

 winter visitants which attract our attention. 

 At first Ave meet Avith little parties in the 

 meadoAvs and pastures, and by hedge-rows, 

 Avhere the black berries of the elder and the 

 ruddy haAv hang in thick profusion. The 

 birds are rather Aveakly and comparatively 

 tame; but by-and-by they become stronger, 

 and assembling in large flocks they chiefly 

 haunt open fields, until the nights become 

 frosty, Avhen they breakfast on the berries 

 of the yeAV, holly, haAvthorn, and ivy — in 

 their season — and AvithdraAV to the fields 

 when the ground becomes thaAved. As a 

 general rule, they seldom feed entirely on 

 these berries, except during hard frosts and 

 snowstorms ; it is then that the Ioav Availing 

 chirp of the redAving is most heard, and 

 seems expressive of deep distress. 



The berry-loving propensities of the mis- 

 sel-thrush are much stronger than either of 

 the tAvo first- mentioned birds ; and his very 

 quarrelsome disposition never fails to mani- 

 fest itself against all birds, both great and 

 small, which happen to feed in his company. 

 The gentle song-thrush migrates from many 

 inland districts to the sea-coast on the ap- 

 proach of Avinter ; and during the hardest 

 weather he gleans his favorite food of snails 

 (Helices) amongst the bents and carices on 

 the sand-hillocks. 



The Avary blackbird, which rarely ventures 

 far from the shelter of bush or hedge-roAv, 

 delights in fruits, Avild and cultivated, Avhen- 

 ever they can be procured. During very 

 hard weather he may be seen in the rick- 

 yard eating grain, or filching from the pigs'- 

 trough ; but Avhere full groAvn hollies exist, 

 it is a pretty sight to see this melloAV song- 

 ster picking the bright scarlet berries with 

 his coral bill, amidst the falling snoAV. 



All lovers of trees and birds should plant 

 the holly freely ; it is valuable for its shelter 

 during wintry gales, for its glossy leaves, and 

 its bright scarlet berries, for its moral and 

 poetical associations. We have one Avell- 

 knoAvn sign of the approach of winter in the 

 increasing familiarity of Master Cock-robin — 

 the loved of all for the place which he fills in 

 the legendary lore of the nursery, which has 

 given him a place in the affections of the old 

 and young to which his excessively quarrel- 

 some disposition gives him no good title. But, 

 after all, this evil extends not beyond the 

 society of his felloAvs ; in the company of 

 man he often evinces the most engaging fa- 

 miliarity ; he attends the gardener's spade, 

 enters our churches and houses — a favorite 

 everywhere ; for there is no withstanding the 

 wistful glance of his full black eye.- — From 

 the Gardeners' Journal. 



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