654 



SCANDINAVIAN I'lMlES. 



Wlien she has tlius collected the troop around lier, slie 

 siiddeidi,' (l(>a!s a blow tliat scatters tlie whole crowd 

 in an instant, 'i'liis s|)ort is often repeated, but the 

 I'apiditv witli Avliich they disperse, renders it impossible 

 to obser\e whether it is always the same female that 



water-plants, the male does not Ituild any nest ]iro]jerlv 

 so called. Tims we iiave to deal with two methods of 

 spawning, tlie free spawning, in which the eggs are 

 developed where they fall, among the water-plants, and 

 the more connubial method, in which the eggs are de- 



takes the lead, or whether they change ])laces. These i veloped in a nest built by the male. But in any case 

 operations are continued, as long as the sun is high the nest-building is oiie of the most interesting parts 



of tile life of the Three-spined Stickleback, and one 

 wliich many iiave l)een in a position to observe (tig. 163). 

 Tlie earliest account we possess of the nest-I)uilding 

 of the Sticklebacks is nearly two hundred years old. 

 Ill 1721 the I'^nglish writer RuniAin) Bkadley tells 

 us" that one Sergeant Hall had seen a Stickleback 

 buiiil a nest, and had secured the latter in order to 

 ])resent it to liiiADUcv, wlio gives a figure of it and 

 says that he "sujiposes it \vas rather composed to lav 

 the spawn in, than for a lodgment for the fish itself" 

 Since that date several naturalists have watched tlie 

 building operations of the male Three-spined Stickle- 

 back in its nati\e haunts; but the most accurate ol)- 

 scrvations of its habits have been made in aquaria, 

 \\ here the Three-spined Stickleback constructs its dwell- 

 ing in the same way as when at liberty. Bkehji lias 

 described its method of building in his work on Tlif 

 Life of AiihiKiIs'' as follows: 



"Wakkington", Oostk'', and Im'ehs have observed 

 tlieir captive specimens at work. During the spawning- 

 season, as we have mentioned, tlie male wears a dress 

 of the most gorgeous colours, and he dis])lays his en- 

 lianced activity and vivacity in other ways as well. As 

 soon as he has decided on a certain spot at the bottom, 

 lie first drags together some roots and other ])arts of 

 several a(|uatic plants. These pieces may be larger than 

 himself, and are often fetched from considerable distances, 

 ill the heavens, for 4 — 6 days, according to tlie weather. With great pains he tears off comparatively large bits 

 It seems more than probable that during these evolu- even from living plants, tests their weight by letting 

 tions the females lose some roe, which adheres to water- them fall to the bottom, and employs in his work only 

 plants, and that this is fertilized by the males that, those that sink ipiickly, rejecting all that pi'ove too light, 

 perhaps only for the time being, have not built any The building-materials are thus carefully selected, piled, 

 nest for the eggs. Benecke has also ascertained that i and still further adjusted, until the little architect finds 

 under certain circumstances, as for example when lie tliem arranged according to liis wishes. To attach tlie 

 finds a suitable crevice or secluded nook among tlie nest to the bottom he employs sand or small pebbles'. 



lif G<istnvslciis aciilcitiis 

 Natural size. 



t rif ils nest. 



" A Philosophical Acfoiuit of the Works of SnUire. p. 61, (>l. VIII, fig. II. It may be iiuestioncd, however, whether tliis nest be- 

 hmged to the Three spined Stickleback or to the following species. 



' Tliierleben. 2:te Aiifl., 3:te Ablh., 2:te Bd., p. 88. 



'■ Ann., Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd scr., vol. X, p. 27G. 



'' Mem. Sav. Etrang. Inst. Fr., tome X (1848), p. 575. 



'' The Three-spined Stickleback may also build its nest above the bottom and among the branches of the water-plants, though 

 this method of building seems to be more characteristic of the next species. 



