The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-05-30

Curious Theories Of Thclr origin ~ Wen
as Their Characteristics.

1
Curious Theories Of 9hcir origin ~ wen
as Their Characteristios.
In the midst OF much dry-as-dust in
formation and many drier-than-dust
figures relating to the larval or post
larval development of the brain of the
lesser sand eel to hermaphroditism in
the cod, to the spawning period Of the
armed hullhead and the vitality OF its
eggs, and to other topics of similarly
hair-raising character, the third part,
recently issued. OF the thirteenth an
nual report Of the fishery board for
Scotland contains papers on two or
three points of interest to others be
sides biologists In a paper on the
Matching and rearing Of food fishes 1t
is stated that during 1894 and down TO
July of last year the total number OF
fry distributed from the Dunbar hatch
cry for sea fish w2s a. .7S5, 600, Of which
64,675, 900 were plaice. The number OF
cod hatched was 2760 900 and of turbot
3,SOO,O00, this being the first time 0o
the knowledge OF the board) that the
eggs Of the last named have been
hatched at any hatchery.
The papers on the influence OF marine
currents in transporting floating eggs
and larvae from off-shore spawning
areas on the life histories and develop
ment OF the food fishes and on the long
and valuable series of physical investt-
cations ought to appeal to all who are
concerned with the maintenance OF our
supply OF sea fish More valuable as
tending to the elucidation of subject
wrapped very much in mystery is II.
c. Williamson's elaborate paper on the
reproduction of the common eel Mr.
Williamson gives very fun account OF
the reproductive organs both as de-
scribed by other naturalists and as OBJ
served by himself in a number of speci-
mems examined at St Andrews, and
the paper includes a description Of the
mlgrations of the eel and all that has
been asscertained about its spawning.
1t is a remarkable fact that the ripe
egg of the eel has never yet been dis
covered. Some funny beliefs have been
held at different times as to the genesis
Of this very slippery creature. Aris-
totle said 1t sprang from what he called
the "entrails of the earth" Pliny the
elder said: They rub themselves
against the rocks and their scrapings
come to life" Gesner thought the opin-
ion as to their generation in the putrid
earcasses of dead horses was quite a
10 tional one. A German sage forty
years ago stated seriously that they
owed their existence to electrical phe-
nCmena. People are still I'm England
who believe they are "evoluted" horse
hairs; and not long ago one pretentious
gentleman gave this recipe for their
manufactures cut up two turfs COW
cred with May dew and lay one upon
the other. the grassy sides inward, and
In this way expose them to the heat OF
the sun; in few hours there will spring
from them an infinite quantity of cells. "
In Sardinia the fishermen cling to the
belief that the so-called water beetle is
tho progenitor of the eel. and an Eng
lishman has written a small book to
prove the same hypothesis There can
BE- no reasonable doubt. however. that
this fish is oviparous and spawns just
as other fish do Plentiful though our
lack of knowledge Is regarding in this
much we have learned the notion ap-
pears to be very widespread that the
eel. like the lamprey, only spawns once
and then dies.-Pall Mall Gazette.