FISHES. £79 



onslaught of his naked assailant ; so, overpowering all op- 

 position, he scrambled onward in his imdeviating path. 



" This fish was rather small, had the throat of a bright red 

 colour and the eyes of a brilliant bluish-green. At first, 

 all the others were pale; but in the course of a few days 

 one of them gradually assumed the rich hues of that already 

 described, and soon afterwards it also became attached to a 

 spot, taking up its abode in one of the corners of the 

 trough. On examining attentively the two selected locali- 

 ties, a nest was found in each, composed of a collection of 

 delicate vegetable fibres, resting on the bottom of the 

 trough, and matted into an irregular circular mass, some- 

 what depressed, and upwards of an inch in diameter; the 

 top being covered over with the same materials, and in the 

 centre having a large, hole. The fishes scarcely ever strayed 

 from their nests, but were constantly on guard, defending or 

 repairing them ; they were perpetually prying into the hole 

 at the top, and thrusting their heads right into it. On one 

 occasion, one of them entered by this hole and slowly forced 

 itself right through the side of the nest ; as it gradually 

 moved onwards, its body had a peculiar lateral vibratile 

 motion. They would frequently seize hold of the nest and 

 give it a violent tug, shaking and tearing loose the vegetable 



