march towards some bourne or pool, if not 

 actually in company with Joe Smith, journeying 

 to the " Salt Lake." But grand or monster 

 movements can only be witnessed on large 

 rivers, such as the Severn, the Tay, the Bann, 

 the Shannon, &c. In the Shannon, above 

 Limerick, where the tide flows no higher, I have 

 seen the spacious waters of the queen of Irish 

 rivers black and lively with eel fry, where they 

 may be taken by pailfulls, and large quantities 

 of them are eaten in Limerick. Some persons 

 prefer them fried quite plain ; others have them 

 dressed in various ways, and eaten as you do 

 whitebait. Many of your fair readers among the 

 "Limerick belles," can give you "traits and 

 stories " of these tiny tribes. But the most re- 

 markable proof of the locomotive powers of eel 

 fry, I ever saw, was on the river Bann, at the 

 Tails of Coleraine, the Salmon-leap, or " Cutts," 

 as it is locally called. There the tribes muster 

 unusually strong. The fall is about eighteen 

 feet, the spacious waters tumbling over a shelv- 

 ing ledge of basaltic rock, causing a foaming 

 pool below; and when there is " a fresh" in the 

 river, and the rocks quite covered by the falling 

 waters, the eel fry lose the power of ascent, not 

 having the privilege of the rocky ladder. Their 

 arrival, however, is known to the fishermen, and 

 so are their wants ; and such is the importance of 

 their ascent, that the fishermen make ropes of 

 twisted straw. These are laid over the land, 

 or across the straggling stones on the east, or 

 Mount Sandel side of the river; one end lying in 

 the waters below, the other end in the waters 

 above, the falls. Up these wet ropes the eels 

 climb in countless myriads, until they reach the 

 upper waters, the ropes being blackened over by 

 the vast numbers constantly ascending ! Your 

 Coleraine correspondents will inform you further 

 on these matters, and also about the eels of 

 larger growth, in their downward course. The 

 Irish Society of London, at Guildhall, could tell 

 you (/olden stories about eels. And Earl O'Neil 

 also can" a tale unfold," as to the profitable move- 

 ments of these silvery tribes, on their return 

 voyage, in the order of their courses toward 

 the waters of the deep blue sea, there to deposit 

 their viviparous progeny. There is also a gen- 

 tleman in London, who could tell you with what 

 satisfaction he pays, I think, £1,250 yearly, for 

 the privilege of fishing eels in the River Bann. So 

 well are the habits of the. " slippery eel " known 

 and understood by the fishermen there, that they 

 are always ready to intercept the fish on their 

 first downward move, in the month of July, and 

 so on during the whole " run;" but so canny, so 

 wary, are these eels, that they never "run" 

 during the daj^, nor do they love the light of the 

 moon; but on a dark night, or when the moon 

 is overcast, particularly if rain falls, there is a 

 "general move," and many tons weight are 

 sometimes taken in one night, at Tome, the 

 first outlet from Lough Neagh. These eels are 

 of various sizes, even up to five or six pounds 

 each, being well grown. Yet there are no ap- 

 pearances of spawn or eggs in any of them. It 

 is however well known, that they are on their 

 journey to fulfil the great law of "increase and 

 multiply." "T. G." was therefore right, and 

 highly to be commended, when he boldly ques- 



tioned the insane assertions of Mr. Boccius, and 

 the Worcester operations ; and he is entitled to 

 the best thanks of naturalists, for having called 

 public attention to a very important subject. — 



Jute. 



Migratory Flight of Brown Butterflies. — In 

 your Journal of January 24, you recorded a 

 singular circumstance connected with this sub- 

 ject, which was authenticated by the signature of 

 " B., Barnham, Bucks." Being myself an entomo- 

 logist, and much interested in every fact concern- 

 ing butterflies, &c, I should feel greatly obliged 

 if your correspondent would favor me, through 

 your columns, with the name of the butterfly in 

 question ; or give me as accurate a description of 

 it as himself and his friend, who witnessed it, are 

 able to pen down. This will interest many 

 thousands of your readers, besides myself. — 

 Eombyx Atlas. 



Cruelty to Birds. — Will you oblige me, Mr. 

 Editor, by inserting among your interesting 

 " Correspondence," a few remarks, particularly 

 applicable at this season, about cruelty to birds? 

 The Cockney sportsman, the schoolboy, and the 

 idle vagrant, all pursue them; and just at a 

 time when they are recovering from the ravages 

 of winter, and about to " mate " for the season. 

 The gardener, too, you must correct from time 

 to time. He ought to know better than to destroy 

 his best friends ; for such, birds are at this season. 

 I have long had my eye upon the tone of your 

 writings, and rejoiced at the fearless manner in 

 which you have defended your porte'ge's, the 

 birds. Now that you have a Paper of your own, 

 carry the principle out fully, and then will society 

 at large be benefited to a considerable extent. 

 The remarks I wish you to insert, appear in "An 

 Address to the Cottage Tenants of S. B. Chad- 

 wick, Esq., of Daresbury Hall." It is written by 

 the Rev. William Whitworth, M.A., Incumbent 

 of Little Leigh, Cheshire : — " Speaking of birds, 

 I hope you will not consider them as enemies, nor 

 let your children think them so. True, they are 

 sometimes very annoying in a garden, but they 

 generally prefer animal food to vegetable, and de- 

 vour many more insects than seeds. A few ingeni- 

 ous contrivances will soon prevent them doing 

 serious mischief, and if they do get a small share 

 of the ripe fruit, it is only what a kind Providence 

 intended them to have. They are a beautiful 

 part of the creation; and on the whole, much more 

 beneficial than injurious to a garden. Teach your 

 children to look upon them as friends, to study 

 their habits, and observe their peculiarities. 

 This will improve their minds and soften their 

 tempers, and make them more inclined to love 

 one another. A bird -nesting, bird-tormenting 

 boy seldom grows into a humane or good man." 

 [This last remark we can back up, by saying we 

 never knew a naturally-cruel boy grow up a 

 good man. This is why we so insist upon due 

 attention being paid to the earliest education of 

 youth.] * * * "Pew sights are more in- 

 teresting than that of a village, emulating one 

 another in the cultivation of fruits and flowers. 

 Such interesting pursuits entwine a man more closely 

 with his home; and make him a better husband, 

 a better father, and a better man." — J. S. M. 

 TWe thank our correspondent much for so en- 



