143 



the prawns which are common in marine vivaria, {Palemon sqiiilla,) all 

 laden with ova ; as many sticklebacks of the common species, so far 

 surpassing in brilliancy of colour any we remember to have seen, that we 

 formed a resolution upon the spot to endeavour to transfer their tints to 

 paper; and, lastly, what appears to be a full grown loach ! the last a 

 take which puzzles us amazingly, as the water is brackish. 



One of the sticklebacks, a male, in ftiU nuptial costume, has eyes much 

 larger, and more projecting than any specimen ever previously captured 

 by us ; so large and projecting indeed, that seen from above, they looked 

 like two globes, inserted to the extent of about a fourth of their diameter 

 only, in the orbital cavity ; the pupil of a deep, lustrous, velvety black, the 

 iris on its inner margin of a bright ultramarine, and upon the outer 

 circunaference of a deep crimson lake colour : its back of a lovely dark 

 velvet green, becoming brighter along the sides, and shading off aroimd the 

 the under portion of the fish, into what in various lights appeared at times 

 to be dull gold, or bright silver. The lower part of the head, and fore part 

 of the body was of vivid scarlet, partially paling, and partially deepening 

 upon the gill plates into shades of purple. The females were all of a 

 deUcate warm brown above, and of a most charming tint below, which we 

 know not how better to describe than by calHng it a combination of pearly 

 nacre and burnished silver. These were, of course, reserved for the 

 vivarium, and we may here relate aU that we might have to say of them 

 in the sequel. 



To try the hardHiood of these little fish, we placed them in a large fresh- 

 water vivarium, in which were others of the same species firom fresh-water 

 ditches, when they immediately made themselves at home, and appeared 

 to suffer no inconvenience from the change of water. In the course of little 

 more than twenty-four hours, they had so completely assimilated themselves 

 in colour to the old settlers, that they could no longer be distinguished from 

 them. The male, probably from irritation, in the same period parted with 

 much of his gay colouring, but his troubles were not destined to last long. 

 Like the young Tobias, " heated with " (what you please) " a vehement 

 dispute " with a detested rival shook the vase. We did not see him pen a 

 challenge, nor did we see him send it, but certain it is that he fought and 

 fell, and that after death all his brilliancy was restored for some hours, and 

 we duly immortaKsed him. 



Upon examining the supposed loach, which we retained in the water 

 in which it was captured, we were surprised to find that the praAvns 

 themselves were not more diaphanous and colourless than itself As it lay 

 amongst them, the small dark mass of intestine, conformed in appearance 

 so exactly to that of the dark mass of their eggs, that it was difficult for a 



