The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08
PROF,PACKARD'S DISCOVERY
THE FIRST MAZE EEL RECOGNIZED
IN SIX THOUSAND IEJRS.


The Hon. Robert ". RooseveIfs Resenrchcs-
The Propagation Of Eeis-Iearned Pisct-
cuIturi.ts All at seH-Facts FOR the savants.
Hearing that Prof A. s. Packard Of Brown
University had found n male eel 1lled with
spcrmnloza. the writer visited Andrew s. Full
lor. tho well-known Now Jersey savan In search
OF Information. Mr. Fuller sat In his sanctum.
near Rldgowood. Cases OF raro bugs sat
against the walls and an omnous ticking in a
pile Of old logs at one end Of tho apartment in
dicatcd that a score OF erubs were doing their
best to add to Mr. Fulor's insect cabinet. A
coal stove sent out cheerful heat The ento-
mologist sat in his shirt-slccves smoking Jer-
soy Havana. Gold eyo-Husses pnched tho
bridge Of his nose. His iron.gray nN,r stood
up like the hair Of Gen. Jackson.
Yes. it ls true" said Mr.. Fuller; " a male eel
has beon discovered for the first time in 5000
years. Prof Packard is entitled 10 tho credit Of
this discovery cannot givo YOU tho particu-
lars but l understand that the spermatoza or
melt. as some would call It. Is clearly defined.
You can sot 1t down as a positive fact that the
secret Of the propagation Of this extraordinary
flsh has been unearthed."
Here MIR. Fuller lighted q fresh Jersey TIa-
vana. Do you know anything about cells ?" he
asked
"Iknow that they arc slippery answered.
You have learned this. no doubt. from expe-
ricnco" said Mr.. Fuller. Now. let me give
YOU the experience Of others. Since tho death
Of Adam. fishermen and others have scratched
their heads over the mystery Of the propagation
Of oels. Old Aristotle. who lived three centuries
before Pontius Pilnte. puzzled over tho problem.
| Ilo says he thought he heard the cracking OF
their eggs when ne roasted them before n FIRE.
but. though he searched long and carefully. he
could not find tho eggs. He at last concluded
| that cells were born Of worms generated by mud.
Three centuries slipped by. and Pliny began to
| pore over the problem. He took issue with
| Aristotle. Az the result Of his observations. he
| asserted that at certain periods the old GELS
| rubbed themselves against stones and sub
| merged logs and infantile GELS wcrv quickened
| into life from the slime or scrapngs left behind
| them. This theory has been handed down from
gcnerntion 70 generation and IS even now gen;
Since the time Of Pliny," continued Mr.. Full
| lcr. hundreds of naturnlists have studied the
| habits Of cells. hut there II So much that Is Oh
scure and difficult to learn about thoir courtshp
mud family habits that none have yet been able
cultursts have said that eels retire TO the ocean
10 spawn. but those who have found cells in
landlocked ponds hundreds Of miles from the
| sea laughed at them. Large cells are often
brought out OF the mud at the bottom Of such
ponds in midwnter at the very time when nat;
| uralsts would have them roaming the waters Of
tho ocean, Fcls lnhabitlnR rivers emptying di-
rect into the sea do not always seek the depths
in tho mud and stay there until spring. Dredge-
| boats at work along our piers sometimes dig
them up In scores and drop them upon mud
Your friend. Bob Roosevelt" the sayan con:
| tinued. has devoted much time TO the study OF
| the propagation Of cells. He has taken an alb
| sorbing Interest In their reproductive habits.
He has given the world the result Of his obser-
covery has followed. Naturalsts averrsd that
| cells deposited their spawn in the salt water dur
SSns ie wHtr HAT se spawn TSr Raea IN April
May and that the young ones went up the
streams in May 70 find some suitable mnd-en;;
| grow fat. All this WAS contrary 20 the habits OF
overy known variety OF fish. IL required the
| confirmation ot the actual taking and Matching
Of the eggs. Yet fishermen and fshmougers
who have caught and dressed thousands ot eols
declared that they have never seen eggs In
The eggs however" said NJ. Fuller were
there The iishmonger who thought he never
aaw ono was throwing millions Of them into the
waste tub every time he dressed lot Of ees,
| lfot. Balfd ol thc smithsonian lu,ulul' slaIled
the n9iuralists 10y the assertion MAI he had re-
ceived eels with ripe oyaries and eggs ready 20
bo discharged. This announcement set our
Markei showed that what has heretofore @ bsen
taken Tor the Fat OF oels is really mass Of eggs.
ford's ofice. Until ready Tor discharging tho
eggs are too small 20 be distinguished hy the
naked eye Under magniiying. glass OF mod
crate power they are easily seen.
In further conversation Mr.. Fuller sai IL that
an old naturaist more than a thousand years
the year All other fish spawned only once.
Who knows" he added. that the old natural
st WAS not rightY We lnd young GELS now. and
We ind them in the spring They are also
found m the. summer months. Nhere do they
| come from p
After tho discovery In Mr. Backford's ofIlcc
| the sayans made "A second surprising discovery
Every eel that was opened contained eggs
| other. and only Jennie eels re- found. Black
ford was beside himself. lie offered largo
reward for male A hundred negroes skinned
| all the ccls tlcy could find. bat no male was
discovered. They had either gone forward to
! tho spawning ground or retired earlier than
| the other sex into winter quarters. At all
| events. they were beyond the roach Of the fish
| crmen. IN" announcement oi irol. PACKARD
discovery threw Baekford ana tho eel dealers
| Of Fulton Market into fever ot excitement. II
| Prof Packard has saved the body ot the ilrsl
male eel known since the foundation ot Tho
world. Blnektorl says ho Will have II mounted
ana sent to the Smithsonian Institution iOI
| preservation.
The rrsearchcs Of the nn'uralists have moi
yet thrown light upon what nrc known ms ce
halls Eelr. like snakes. link and twist them
selves together formnG Prsc clusters or balls
These balls are FREQUENTLY found in streams
during the fail. The clusters are sometimes 81
large that they roll into mill races aud clog The
he eel ~ says that in the River Mincius II
October man may see rolling among the waVc'
a wonderful number Of ecls wound and tan
glcd. one within another. som?timcs n thousnnt
q them wrapped together IN ono ball. Mr.
Fuller says: The object Of their rolling them
selves W IN this way ~ o mystery. Mr.. ROuse
welt y doing bis best 10 inihom II. il would bl
very lhtcrohtnc 10 know II all were Of one sex
J or IL both iOinel In nihklnn up the mass Tn,
specimen iu one Of these clusters might throw
, some light upon the relation of the soXes. abou
which there Is still much that Is obscure"
.