424 CYPR1NID.E. 



of the water which had the appearance of a flower. Observ- 

 ing it attentively," he proceeds, " I found that it consisted 

 of a circular assemblage of Minnows : their heads all met in a 

 centre, and their tails diverging at equal distances, and being 

 elevated above their heads, gave them the appearance of a 

 flower half-blown. One was longer than the rest ; and as 

 often as a straggler came in sight, he quitted his place to 

 pursue him ; and having driven him away, he returned to it 

 again ; no other Minnow offering to take it in his absence. 

 This I saw him do several times. The object that had 

 attracted them all was a dead Minnow, which they seemed to 

 be devouring.'" 



The Minnow is very prolific, spawning in June : at that 

 time the head is covered with small tubercles : the young are 

 soon alive, and I have taken them three-quarters of an inch 

 long by the first week in August. 



A detailed account of many particulars interesting to the 

 naturalist relating to the habits of this species when spawning 

 will be found in the fifth volume of the Magazine of Natural 

 History, page 681. 



A gravelly spot was chosen ; each female was attended by 

 two males, one on each side : several ova, nevertheless, it 

 appears, escape fecundation, which the writer believes takes 

 place at the moment of exclusion : the ova that received the 

 influence of the male were obviously different, when exa- 

 mined under a microscope, from those that were unimpreg- 

 nated : the membrane forming the investing capsule was 

 more tough, and resisted injury longer, not breaking down so 

 easily when touched : some attempts at artificial impregna- 

 tion did not succeed. The spawning season with them is 

 short, seldom exceeding two or three days, and the eggs 

 become young fish in a very few days afterwards. The 

 young Minnows are quite transparent, except the eyes, which 

 arc large : in this state the larvae of the angler's May-fly, and 



