THE BULLHEAD. 131 
tapering away to a mere nothing at the tail. 
There are many species frequenting the lakes and 
rivers of British Columbia, during the summer 
months, for the purpose of spawning. On their 
return to the sea, swarms of young bullheads, of 
various species, regularly follow the ebb and flow 
of the tide; and in rough weather every breaker, 
as it rushes up the shelving shingle, carries a 
freight of tiny fish, that are left struggling amid 
the pebbles in thousands, to be dragged back and 
floated out again by the succeeding wave, or to 
find a last home in the stomachs of the sea-birds. 
The bullhéad does not actually build a nest, 
like the stickleback, but makes an egg-house, on 
the bottom of some slowly-running stream. The 
male usually selects a hollow under a boulder, 
or a space betwixt two stones, and shoves out the 
lesser pebbles and gravel, to form a pit. This 
accomplished, several females are in turn induced 
to deposit their roe, having done which they are 
driven off by the male, who supplies the milt, 
then shovels the sand and pebbles, with his huge 
horny head, over the treasure, until it is com- 
pletely covered: more females, more eggs and 
milt, more shovelling, until the affair is com- 
pleted to the bullhead papa’s satisfaction. 
Now stand clear all thievish prowlers! Let any- 
K 2 
