HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



127 



The chivalrous courage of the salmonidce in this 

 particular is well known. Especially is it so with 

 the "lordly" salmon. A Guinevere awaiting her 

 victorious Lancelot might emblem a sheeny female 

 salmon awaiting her lord as he wages fierce war against 

 perhaps four or five other fish all equal to himself in 

 size. But shame on female fickleness ; if her champion 

 succumbs in the conquest, she is quite prepared, like 

 another Queen of Denmark, to receive a new lord 

 from amongst the victors. A battle of peculiar fierce- 

 ness of this kind is ably detailed by Mr. Newman in 

 the "Zoologist" for 1847, page 1650 : "While 

 several gentlemen," he says, " of the Preventive ser- 

 vice were on their rounds the other day and patrolling 

 along the Findhorn between Glenferness and Dalcie 

 Bridge, they observed an unusual commotion among 

 the spawning-beds of the ford. On approaching the 

 spot two large male salmon were seen engaged in 

 mortal combat for a female. Never did chivalrous 

 knights do battle for the hand of a lady fair more 

 fiercely than these lords of the flood. The tranquil 

 bosom of the stream was lashed into foam by the 

 struggles of the finny antagonists, the object of the 

 fray meantime beating silently about, 'spectatress 

 of the fight.' From the appearance of the stream 

 dyed with blood, and gradually assuming its former 

 smooth surface, it was evident that the contest was 

 over. One of the salmon at last floundered on the 

 surface dead, and the victor, it may be conjectured, 

 exhaustedly bore off his prize." From this it would 

 certainly appear that this prince of all fishes tastes to 

 some extent the vinum damonutn of love. I cannot 

 say much for his parental affection, seeing that some 

 of the older male-fish are most inveterate devourers 

 of the ova and embryo fish. 



Trout are also as fierce and plucky in their love 

 affairs, and I have witnessed some magnificent tussles 

 in which, like bull dogs, they have torn the flesh from 

 each other with unrelenting ferocity. 



For domestic attachments however the stickleback 

 stands far above all other freshwater fishes. Towards 

 early summer time the male increases in beauty, 

 putting on the most gorgeous dress of green and 

 silver, whilst his movements become inconceivably 

 elegant and swift and full of vivacity. Presently he 

 casts his eyes about him for a suitable locality for his 

 nest, and having selected a site, perhaps in some tiny 

 eddy, he commences to build. The operation of 

 building is a work of time, but it is done in a very 

 workmanlike manner and carefully. First a foundation 

 is laid and cemented with a sort of gluten secreted by 

 the fish himself. Against this currents of water are 

 projected by the fins of the builder, and sometimes, to 

 render certainty doubly certain, he hurls himself 

 repeatedly against the structure. His materials are 

 pieces of stick and other suitable debris collected in 

 the neighbourhood. Having securely built the 

 foundation he commences to erect the walls. This is 

 effected in the same style, and finally a nest is com- 



pleted, with holes for ingress and egress opposite each 

 other. The whole fabric is repeatedly tested as above 

 described, and when everything seems firm and stable 

 the building is ready for the ova. 



Watching the laborious operations of the industrious 

 little gentleman at a respectful distance, behold four 

 or five females of decidedly less brilliant appearance. 

 When he is ready he with sidelong glances and 

 coquettish movements approaches them, and com- 

 municates in some inaudible language his wishes and 

 desires. Presently a female, responsive to his invita- 

 tion, leaves her sisters and follows Sir Stickleback to 

 the nest he has prepared. After entering himself and 

 passing through he indicates that all is in readiness. 

 Lady Stickleback accordingly enters without com- 

 punction, and remains hidden for some time. After 

 depositing the ova she passes out the other side, and 

 he enters to complete the proce-s of impregnation. 

 When this is done her ladyship is dismissed, and a 

 layer of sand is strewn over the eggs. This accom- 

 plished, another female is invited, and the same opera- 

 tion ensues, again and again, till four or five layers of 

 ova are deposited. Now comes the anxious time for 

 Papa Stickleback. The females are very inquisitive, 

 and have to be kept back most unceremoniously from 

 poking their noses into the nest. They are of a 

 decidedly cannibalistic turn of mind also, and would 

 devour the objects of their lord's solicitude if allowed. 

 So they are sometimes hurled right and left by this 

 piscine Paladin in his twinkling armour of many 

 colours. 



After an interval of lesser or greater duration, ac- 

 cording to the temperature, the tiny sticklebacks make 

 their appearance. The trouble they are now to their 

 faithful parent transcends all conception. To keep 

 them together and guard them from enemies of all 

 kinds becomes his task, and right valiantly does he 

 perform it. Combat after combat engages him, both 

 females and males are against him, and like a famous 

 historical personage his hand is against every one in 

 the interests of his tiny family. Now and then one 

 little rascal will stray, but only to be brought back 

 in its father's powerful jaws, and to receive an 

 admonitory shake. At last they are disbanded, 

 and ' ' love's labour " for the nonce becomes a thing 

 of the past. 



Though not a nest-builder the Miller's Thumb 

 exhibits like characteristics to the Stickleback, and 

 guards its ova and young with a constancy of 

 purpose and ferocity of temper alike amusing and 

 instructive. 



I think I have said enough to justify the title of 

 this paper. With salt-water fishes I have not meddled, 

 but doubtless many instances of constancy and affec- 

 tion might be cited in reference to them. The 

 variety of fish -life is marvellous, and in the scale of 

 being one is sometimes disposed to elevate them 

 highly. 



John H. Keene. 



