Kenneth Lloyd, age 11, of Bumpass, Va., for his question:

How do eels get into ponds that have no streams?

We know that all the eels are born in or near the weedy Sargossa Sea out in raid‑Atlantic. Their life story is one of the wonders of Nature and we are always amazed to find them so far from their beginnings. They inhabit ponds, streams and creeks hundreds of miles from the sea,

The overland travelers are the female eels. The males, usually smaller, hover near the shores. The females follow the rivers and streams. inland. Some of them reach ponds and pools cut off from other inland waters. To do this, the eels must travel over stretches of dry land.

The land journeys are usually made at night which is why we seldom see eels traveling on the ground. During this time, the eels breathe through the skin. For the eel is a water animal with gills instead of lungs.

The eels in a stagnant pool may stay or wander further inland. But at a certain age they will start the long journey over land and sea back to their breeding grounds in the Atlantic Ocean.