EEL: THE EGG-EATER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 116, 5 August 1913, Page 1

EEL: THE EGG-EATER.

Some Nature Notes. In his "nature note 3," published in our Auckland rr.orr.inp; contemporary cn Saturday, Mr J. Druinmcnd ha? the following: From Mauku Mr Mslvill Crispe writes stating that amongst many other duties, he rears large numbers of poultry. A part of ins poultry farm is sat a-i:!e for a duck-run, which hss a continuous stream of water. Thee are usually about 200 ducks in the run. For eome reason, most of the eggs laid are fcund in the water. The creek is shallow, and as the water, which comes from a spring-, ia fright a:d clear little difficulty is experienced in securing the eggs. Mr Crispe, however, h;S been greatly annoyed by fin ling that many of them have been sucked, sometimes only a pieces cf empty shell being left. For some time, he attributed the depredations to rats and wekaa, both of which are "veritable p?sts" to him; but ons morning, when gathering the eggs, he saw a large fat e;l laying laz.ly beside the bank. The thought occurred to him that the eel might have some knowladge of the affair, and ha pinned it with a digging-fork and bought it to land. A pestmoitem examination showed that it was full of yolks and whites of eggs, and also contained several pieces of shells. Since that discovery was made, more eeU have been caught, and in all cf them there havu teea eggs. "I think that these facts may iotsrest your readers," Mr Crispe add*. "I do not suppose that eggs are amongst the usual items of eels' diet, but my experience shows how quickly they can adapt themselves to ntw fcod. Frequently, I have known legs to be taken off young ducks. Oj one occasion I found a full grown runner with a foot missir.g. 1 caught the eel which had committed the offence, and found the foot inside it. At this time of the year, July, wekas are cpeeially troublesome. Efgs laid outside of the netting yards are immediately sucked. I have seen wtkas waiting close to nests until the hens come off. These birds are easily trapped. An ordinary rat-trap placed at the approach to a nest full of ct:ina eggs never fails to catch the thief. In your columns :ome time ago, there was a note in regard to henH killing ycung ducks after sitting on the eggs f:r four weeks. I have experienced this annoya-.ee with my hena also, tut, as it olten h?pper.s in respect to ordinary chickens, I think that it does net disclose any evil disposition towards the ycung ducks, but merely shows that some fcmala birds have an unnatural inclination to destroy their own offspring