THE FAMILY-LIFE OF FISHES. 



781 



Indian jugglers of ten keej) these fishes in order to let them crawl about 

 on land, and have the people enjoy the wonderful spectaele. Another 

 fish, living in the Gulf of Panama, resembles the kangaroo, inasmuch 

 as it possesses a bag-like receptacle in which it bears its eggs. 



The most peculiar, however, of all fishes is the sea-horse {Ilippo- 

 campiis), remarkable on account 

 of its queer shape as well as on 

 account of its strange homestead 

 and habits of life. With their 

 numerous joints and their circu- 

 lar tail, these fishes have more 

 the appearance of a plant than 

 of an animal. "While swimming 

 they keep in an upright position, 

 holding their tail in readiness for 

 the peculiar use to which they 

 put it. Very quickly they coil 

 it around sea-w^eeds, and then 

 carefully watch the surrounding 

 water, on the lookout for booty, 

 which, when perceived, they pur- 

 sue with great dispatch. It some- 

 times happens that, when two of 

 these fishes meet, they encircle 

 each other with their tails, and 

 they often have a hard time of 

 it before they can again separate. 

 By the peculiar growth of a part 



Fig. 3.— The Hippocampus and its Family. 



of the epidermis on the sea-horse a perfect pocket is formed, in which 

 their eggs are allowed to develop. 



Yet another kind of fish possesses a form still more w^eird, and may, 

 on account of its shape and color, be easily mistaken for floating sea- 

 weeds. And in this peculiar resemblance lies its greatest safeguard. 

 In like manner the sea-needle greatly resembles the sea-plants among 

 w^hich it lives, not only in form, but also in color, which it can easily 

 change from a gray or bi'own to a bluish or greenish hue. — Translated 

 for the Popular Science Monthly from Daheim. 



Toe report of the Britisli Royal Commission of 1886, on the depression of 

 trade, while it failed to find any single positive cause or sovereign remedy for 

 the stringency of the .'situation, presented overwhelming evidence that protection, 

 instead of helping the countries where it prevailed, had hurt them. The silk- 

 weavers of Macclesfieid asked for protection against those of Lyons and Pater- 

 son, when it was shown that the Lyons weavers with protection were suffering 

 far more terribly than their English competitors without it ; and even the Mac- 

 clesfield weavers, when it came to* talking of protection on tlie provisions they 

 consumed, did not think the rule would work well in that direction. 



