744 
ZOOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 
is not a necessary condition for the existence of these creatures; such 
acids as oxalic, acetic, or citric, if added to pure water so as to make it as 
acid as the vinegar in which they live, will speedily destroy them. On 
the contrary, they live and increase rapidly in a liquid not acid, hut contain- 
ing sugar, while they will live in pure water for about eight days ; they will 
live in the same water, if 1 to 2 grains of sugar he added to every 1000 of water, 
for many weeks, and for many months if 3 to 6 grains he added. In water 
containing 5 per cent, of sugar they increase and multiply in great numhers, 
and this increase is in proportion to the quantity of sugar contained in the 
water; it increases up to 30 per cent., it remains stationary at about 40 per cent., 
and at 50 per cent, the eels cease to propagate or live. To keep the water 
from becoming too acid in these experiments, a little chalk must he added 
to it. 
In a fluid constantly neutral the eels multiply in much greater numhers 
than in an acid fluid. Guided by these results, eels placed in neutral or very 
slightly acid fruits, such as peaches, cherries, plums, &c., were found to pro- 
pagate in enormous numhers ; and in vegetables the same was the case ; the 
increase appeared to he in a ratio with the amount of sugar in the vegetable, 
beetroot and the onion being in the first rank, then the carrot and tomato, 
and lastly the turnip. Amidst all these experiments, the eels never showed 
any specific change ; whether they were scarcely nourished, or whether they 
lived in abundance, they never appeared to vary either in length, thickness, 
or appearance. Such facts point at once to the origin of these worms. 
They live and are reproduced in abundance in the fruits which fall on the 
ground, or in the sugary roots which grow in it (it is remarkable that they 
can live for upwards of three weeks in the damp clay itself without any 
nourishment) ; they thus get into the vinegar made from such substances, 
when they rapidly increase and so are distributed with the vinegar. As the 
eel (so the author concludes) lives only in vinegar made from fruits, it is easy 
to account for the fact that though once very common, it is now-a-days very 
rare ” — a hint not to be lost sight of by housekeepers. 
Bastian (/. c.) describes the following new species of AnguiU 
luUd<B \ — 
Monhystet'a stagnalis, M. dispar, M. rividaris (p. 97), M. longicaudata, M. 
Jiliformis, M. disjuncta (p. 98), M. amhigua (p. 99), Trilobus gracilis (p. 99), 
T. pelluddus (p. 100), Mononchus truncatus, M. papillatus, M. maerostoma 
(p. 101), 31. tunhridgensis, 31. cristatus (p. \02),Iromis ignavus 104), Dory- 
laimus carteri, D. ohtusicaudatus (p. lOG), 2>. tenuicaudatus, I), triiici, D. jilifor- 
mis (p. 107), D. polyhlastiis, D. papillatus, D. torpidus (p, 108), D. iners (p. 109), 
Tripyla glomerans (p. 115), T. salsa (p. 116), Diplogaster jictor (p. 118), D. 
alhus, D. Jiliformis (p. 117), Plectus pariatinus (p. 118), P. cirratus, P. tenuis, 
P. velox (p. 119), P. acuminatus, P. parvus, P. tritici, P. gramdosus (p. 120), 
P. fusiformis (p. 121), Aphelenchus aveme (^. 122),^. villosus, A. 2 uirietinus, 
A. 2 >gd (p. 123), Cephalobus pei'signis (p. 124), C. striatics (p, 125), Tylenclius 
davainii (p. 126), T. terricola (p. 127), T. obtusus (p. 128), Rhabditis marina 
(p. 129), P. longicaudata, R. ornata, R. acris (p. 130), Symplocostoma longi- 
collis, S. vivipara (p. 133), Oncholaimus vidgaris (p. 135), O. glaber, O. viscosus, 
O. fiiscus (p. 136), O. ulbidus, O. viridis (p. P\7), Anticoma eherihi, A. linudis 
(p. 141), A. pcllucida (p. 142), Phanoderma cocksi, P. albidtun (p. 143), Li^doso- 
