III 



SCANDINAVIAN I-ISIIKS. 



the first tlirci; relations the (level<i|)iiieiit has ad- 

 \aiice(l ill the same directinii IVom /iiiiii/il/iis liotli to 

 (iculciiliis and to spiiifir/iid — in eaeii case, exeept tiie 

 second, furthest in the last species — , Init in the t'onrtii 

 spiliarhid has vetaiii<-d the most pi'iiuitive eharacter of 

 the Stickleliacks. In the last five relations sjiiuinl/id 

 is the nearer to /jiii/i/ifiiis, and stands in eacii case, 

 except the sixth, on the opposite side to firiileafnfi. 

 The direction of de\elopmen1 is fixed in (i(nlc(ttiis by 

 the feiuale, in s/iiiiachia hy the male characters. 



rica (Saskatchewan and (jreat Hear Lake) and, Pallas 

 l<ne\\ the species from Silicria and the Sea of Okhotsk. 

 'J'he N'eu'a i^xpedition found it to,u'etlier with small Three- 

 spined Stickleliacks, as we lia\-e mentioned, on Belirinfr 

 Island. I5lan'' assio'iis it to Alaska; anil it was alread\- 

 known to ('rviKU froni Newfoundland ((iccidenfalis). 



In Scandinavia the Ten-sjiined Stickleljack is com- 

 nion from the extreme iiortli to the southernmost pro- 

 \ inces, lioth in most of the Swedisli lakes and streams 

 and on the llaltic c'oast. In Norwa\-, accordino" to Coi.- 



The (-(doratioii of this species is quite as varied as \ i.etv. it> 



urrence is onlv sporadic and confined t( 



that of the preceding one, and is affected li\' the differ- 

 ent seasons of the year, the different moods of the fish, 

 and the different Iwttoms and lishts of the water in 

 which the fish lixcs. Here too, we find darker (I'latc 

 X.W'III. fi.ii. 4) anil li,iiiiter forms. In wintci' tljc uiipci 

 ]>art of the head and the hack are of a liliiish dral), and 

 the sides silvery white, with extremely tine, dark dots. 

 In summer, on the otlier iiaiid, the head and the upper 

 part of the ^vhole hody are of a marked olive-green. 

 The lower part of the ]>n({\ is now light green, with a 

 dash of lirassA' Aellow, which shades moi'e into red 

 under the head and at the liases of the pectoral fins. 

 The whole hody is thickh' strewn with distinct, black 

 dots. It is this dress which is depicted in Plate XW'IIi, 

 fig. .'), ]iidnted from a large s|)ecim(>n, a female taken 

 ill the neighbourhood of Haparanda in dune, lSr!2. 

 During the spawning-season the males are black on the 

 sid(^s of the belly. 



The Ten-spined Stickleback has the same geogra- 

 ]ihical range as the Three-sjiined species, but in Eumjie 

 does not penetrate so far south. Moheau sets the south- 

 ern limit for the range of the Ten-spined Stickleback in 

 francc at lat. 4.5° X. According to I*"atiii this species 

 is wanting in Switzerland. Mki'KEl and Kneu do not 

 include it among the fishes of the Austrian Empire. It 

 is also unknown in Italy (Canestkini, Giglkili); but it 

 occurs in the Black Sea, according to Pallas, and NoliD- 

 .mann" says that it is found in se\eral streams in the 

 south of Russia. (_)n the other hand, its occurrence in 

 (Treenland and Iceland is uncertain. Neither REiNtL\iU)T 

 nor Lltken includes it in their lists of the fishes of Green- 

 land, though Hansen says that it lives there; and Fabeu 

 liad never seen it in Iceland. Riciiahdson'.s concinmis 

 belonged, however, to the extreme north of North Ame- 



fresh and brackish water. 



The liabits of this Species are essentially the same 

 as those of the preceding one. It prefers clear, running 

 water. It is sociable, and therefore li\cs collected in 

 large shoals during the greater part of the \ear. It also 

 joins coniiian\- witii the Three-siiined Stickleliack, when 

 the latter sets out on its autumn wanderings. In tem- 

 |iei'anicnt it seems to be wvy sluggish, but can move 

 with great rapiditv. Its food consists of \\-orms, insects, 

 fish-roe, and bits of grass, wdiich it devoui'S with avi- 

 dit\'. \\f often find tliis little fish, like its congener, 

 very fat. 



The spawning-season generalh' occurs in June and 

 .Iul\' — according to Benei'KE even in .\]iril — ^\llen the 

 fish makes its wav to small l.)rooks and rills, wdiere 

 during the sjiawiiing we find it packed in nniltitudes. 

 Males and females arc promiscuously assembled, and try 

 to crowd as near to the grass^- bank as )x>ssil.)le. The 

 roe is orange and, in comparison \vith the size of the 

 tish, coarse, the eggs being about 1 nnn. in diameter. 

 It is deposited either on the gi-ass or in a nest, for here 

 as in the ]ireceding species the male bnilds a shelter 

 for the eggs until the exclusion of the fry". .\s long 

 as tile s]iawning lasts, and as long as the male has to 

 defend the eggs, the fish is not at all timid, and suffers 

 itself to be taken in the hand. 



The Ten-spined Stickleback, \\liicli in different lo- 

 calities liears different names, e. g. benuiige, skindllinfj 

 etc., is utilised in the .same way as the Three-spined 

 species. It is said to ^■ieId a finer oil. It is taken 

 chieflv ill No\eml)er, when it collects in slioals together 

 with the Three-spined Stickleljack. 



(Ekstuom, S.mitt.) 



" DEMiDorif's Travels, Umi. III. |p. ,'!S2. 



* Cat. dnUect. Fixh. U. S. iVitt. Jhis.. Ot. Intern. Fislu-r 



' See Ransom, Ann., Mug. Nat. Hist., scr. ii, vnL XVI, |i. 



Exliil.. London 188;!. p. 

 44:1. ■ 



