266 The Life Story of the Fish 



the eggs develop. Two weeks later the next spring tide 

 scours them from their nest, washes the ready fry out of the 

 egg-membranes, and sweeps them out to sea. 



One or two of the subtler points which we have passed 

 over in order not to interrupt our narrative are worth atten- 

 tion. Spawning takes place at night only. The grunion thus 

 escapes many of the dangers which it would run if it 

 spawned in daylight, especially birds of prey. The one bird 

 of prey which it does not fool in this way is man. Formerly 

 the beaches of southern California glittered in the moon- 

 light with great schools of spawning grunion. Motor-cars 

 have brought schools of greedy humans, with shovels and 

 scoops and buckets and barrels, and now the grunion are 

 few. However, the species is not doomed, for a closed season 

 has been put into effect to save it from extinction. 



Spawning generally takes place not at the very apex of the 

 spring tide, but one or two nights later, when the waves do 

 not reach quite so high up on the beach. This makes it certain 

 that the next spring tide will reach and release the fry even 

 though through some variation in the conditions it is not 

 quite so high as the one in which the eggs were laid. 



The eggs take only nine days to develop, but the fry do 

 not emerge until the waves dig them out of the sand. They 

 are thus ready for the appointment ahead of time, in case 

 winds or other circumstances should bring the releasing tide 

 earlier than usual, but they none the less suspend their 

 progress and wait patiently within the ^g^ until the water 

 comes to set them free. If they did not, they would emerge 

 into the almost dry sand, and would perish. 



The whole thing is an equation in timing even more com- 

 plicated than that of the eel, and, to my mind, prettier. I 

 would rather be a grunion than an eel. 



There is one fish which has pushed the matter even 

 further. It apparently appreciates the desirable features of 



I 



