The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-20
CONCERNING EElS.

| DO cells seek the land occasionally ?This
! question was asked IN the New York
Press few weeks ago. and Il has started
a hullabaloo OF argument. II. Brand the
veteran angler OF Jamaica Bay. has this
to say about It:
Perhaps those fishermen who assert
( that they saw eels feeding or seeking
! food on dry land have in reality only
seen cells wriggling In the ooze on the
edge of a marsh where the eels had been
left by the receding tide.
II have spent much of my time during
the last thirty odd years on the waters
and marshes that border on the western
end OF Long Island. and during that time
have had the acquaintance OF many fish
ermen. some OF whom fished for living
and some who hshed for sport, and in all
the talks about fish that have had with
them no mention was ever made about
cells voluntarily leaving the water for
any purpose.
ut seems TO he an impossibillty for an
eel to propcl itself over any considerable
distance on dry land. owing 10 it's con-
struction The cross section of an cells
body shows an oval form, particularly
that part of its body supplying the pro-
pelling force. and has it's greatest diam
eter from fin 10 fin, or through vertical
line when in it's natural position, conse-
quently IL has a small working for pro-
puson on dry land. The shiny coating OF
its body also becomes sticky and causes
the dirt to adhere 60 it. and then there is
the I'm, which does not affords enough
friction for hold.
when an eel Is placed on dry ground
II will go through It's swimming motions.
but will make slow progress ia travel
ing. for II win I've noticed that IL is un-
able 10 glide tho same as snake.
snakes body has it's largest diameter
through the sides and its under side i.
fiat and is covered with scales which
act as ratchet teeth 10 hold on to the
ground when the stake is gliding along.
what power an eel MAY have TO Shift
from one place 10 another on dry ground
il derives by the momentum given 10
part OF its body by It's violent writings.
OF course II is claimed that cells can
travel on tho ground WHOM IL Is covered
with a heavy dew. butt we also have
heard tell or boats that could accomplish
the same feat
when an eel Is held IN the bare hand
IT is able To slip out OF the frmest Of
grasps, owing 10 the moro favorable con-
ditions for Tie eel TO use It's strength, for
IL then uses the side of the hand that II
is leaning against as a fucrum 10 pry out
the part OF its hody which Is held
when fish Is found in an odd place
II cannot be taken as an evidence that It's
kind habitually frequent such places.
Some fish. while IN quest of food, follow
the rising tide. and sometimes reach
places that are considerable distance
from the low water line and are some
times left there when the tide recedcs
| While the phenomenal run OF cod and
| whiting was on IN Jamaica bay about
| four years ago numbers OF whiting were
| picked up along the marshy shores near
| Rockaway Park nearly every day Al
nign,. during the food tides. the whiting
! chased the sea lants far inshore and
/ some or them usually were left on the
marshes when the tide receded
Two seasons ago. while pushing my
| boat along the northern end OF Rogers
drain In Jamaica bay, during a very low
tide. saw a great number OF weak-fsh
confined In shallow pool not more than
foot deep. My approach created quite a
| commotion among the fish as l pushed
| my boat along. and on reaching the mid
die Of the pool stopped and awaited de-
velopments. After l had been there FOR a
while the ilsh quieted down. but the sur
| face Of the water plainly Indicated their
| movements. After the muddy water had
! drffted away with the iucominr' tide
ran out my tackle. but no fsh took hold
1 untu the water AZ that point had reached
depth OF about four feet and the sur
rounding marsh was covered: then sud
denly they took the bait and within y
short space OF time ! caught mess oi
porgies during low tide In a shallow poo
noar the mouth OF Vanderveer's creek
"On several occasions I have seen carr
strand themselves IN shallow places alonc
tho shores of a pond while they chased
toads that were pilfering their spawn"