WHERE DO YOUNG EELS COME FROM?

Otago Witness, Issue 2688, 20 September 1905, Page 88

WHERE DO YOUNG EELS COME FROM?

Do you know? The gentleman whose letttsr I have been quoting — Mr Robert Tappex% jun., of Clifden, Otaaitau — in continuing his letter writes: — .Perhaps the following may interest you, though not ir. the bird line. If not, perhaps you can hand it to some one interested in the subject. A week ago my brother Jules, -who has been in communication with you before, happened to lift a tin out of the Waiau, in which it had lain for some weeks. On running the sand with which it was filled into the -water he noticed hundreds upon hundreds of what he took to be small worms ; but in looking closer he saw that they were fish of a sort, and, on further examination, found they were eels ranging from, lin to 2in in length, of course very fine in body. Now, where would these have come from? I don't think they could have travelled very far. Eels are not very numerous just in that locality, as there is very little cover for tlieni. I KnOW It IS » znucli-aefcatea question as to vjawe eels spawn ; but I think the spawn must have been hatched very close to where the tin was found. I may state that there is a permanent sand bed just at the place. I shall be very pleased to answer any queries from those who think it worth writing about. Now, I wonder If any of my junior readers — seniors, too, for that matj&r — can.

give any information on the two questions raised in these letters : the time when the native wood pigeon lays, and how, when, and where eels spawn. I think it is Donald Macdonald, tihe writer of charming Nature articles in the Argus, who cays that if boys and girls were only to record their observations and discoveries a world of scientific information interesting and valuable wo\ild be gleaned.