The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-18
ABOUT EELS.
The Habits Of This Curious Fish Not
Well Understood.
Philadelphia Times.

Philadelphia Times.
Speaking of cells brings TO mind the curl
Gus character IF their migrations.
They descend the streams in the fall. lay
their eggs m in the spring ascend the
water courses as far as they can. 1t is a
common experience to every man living on
the banks of a river 10 find great punches
of the young fry in the early. part of the
year. but it. was long a puzzle how they
managed TO climb up the p~recipitous rocks
which u2derly nearly all water falls.
There are many streams in mountainous
districts tumbling over falls varying from
a few feet 10 a hundred yards in height.
How a small fish, scarcely larger than a
great q distance was long a mystery. IL
has been learned. however, that they don't
swim up at all. To use a colloquial phrase,
they simply get out and walk. In the
night time. when vegetation is wet with
either rain or dew. they come out of the
water in untold numbers and creep tnrougn
the wet grass around a cataract or rapids
until they have reached the still water be-
yond. In gorges whose falls are covered
with moss and low forms OF vegetable me-
they climb through the vegetation to the
very summit and then beyond until they
reach a safe place, at which they can enter
the stream. AT a meeting OF the New fork
fish commission there was placed on exhi-
bition pieces of moss plucked from the
rocks around waterfalls that were, almost
alive with young eels; Ihere are a mum
cells have been found climbing up the wet
surface of the rocks in order TO continue
their tourney along some rOuSn anu dp-
narantiy impassable water course. The facts
are very simple. but the instinct which
underlies them is one of the most wonderful
things to puzzle man. 1t explains. however,
why II is that cells are found in every rivu-
let and pond. no matter how hlgh the anu
tude and no matter how devoid the water
is of other forms of fish life.
Here II might be added that there is more
popular ignorance about the eel than sur
rounds any other fish and that the nsh
commissioners are more bothered WITH
ridiculous questions in this respect IMAM
i'm any other. In the first place. the eel
is not, as is SUPPOSED nerIna-
phroditic. but is male ard female like any
other fish. The reason of this curious
superstition or error probably lies In the
fact that the male eel is quite scarce as
compared with the female. and to an un-
trained eve there is no difference between
them. In the second place. horse halrs, no
matter how long they may be Immersed III
water never become cells. This absurd no.
ton seems TO be immortal ana comes up
every year to annoy luckless commission.
ers as if il were a brand new discovery OF
modern science. There are probably few OF
YOU who did not entertain that supersti-
ton in early youth. The narrator certain
ly did. In the third place. the eel Is not
an unclean animal. Like nearly all otner
fish he eats what he can get. digests II and
converts it into as wholesome ana delcate
flesh as any in the marine kingdom.
Speaking of cells brings TO MIND what was
a surprise to most OF the piscicuiturists OF
the country. In the hrst place TINS n Sn
scales nor fins. and which has been con-
demned by the Mosaic law in consequence
as an unclean article or 1000; mas poth'
although i'm not "A very high stage of de-
velopment. Under a powerful magnifying
glass the skin of every eel thus Tar studied
Is seen 20 have a countless number of fine
scales. They are. of course. very small
and do not possess the horny conslstence
of those which cover most of our fishes. but
i'm cell structure. their mode of growing
and their relation To the surrounding It's
sues they display no difference from the
great scale which characteriZes the tar
pom. Then, when carefully dissected. most.
il not all. the cells display parliamentary
fins. These are soft and cartilaginous In
constitution and unless examined by an e&-
pert eye would be mistaken by any one for
portions of the superficial tissue of the ami
mails body. one or two OF our microscope
lists have given this subject particular al
tention and declare that these rudiamen-
tary fins are identical with those found
upon most fishes. The beauty OF this dis
covery is that il will enable our orthodox
Jewish brethren to put the eel in their bill
OF fare without the fear of violating a prac-
tice that has come Town for nine thousand
years.