ON A NEST-BUILDING FISH. 109 



be claiming for her work that it was more vital and honourable than 

 her mate's, and that his work was but the materialistic. 



The two openings at the base he now proceeds to close with weeds 

 and by dragging the fibres of the nest together, leaving only the small 

 hole at the top open, over which he diligently works at the vibratory 

 action. This is now varied frequently at intervals of a few minutes 

 by his curving bis body round about and over the nest, first in one 

 direction then the reverse, suggesting the action of a cat pushing against 

 one's legs when purring. The hatching is evidently helped by the 

 sun striking into the shallow water, as I have noticed that the time is 

 always retarded by a few days in chilly weather. I have never 

 observed them building in water much over two feet deep. Sometimes 

 they build very near the edge, and in very hot weather, as the pool 

 lowers by evaporation the nests become exposed. The pertinacity 

 then with which they will continue fanning as the water recedes, with 

 their bodies half out of the water, just turning back for a time for 

 breath as it were, is, I may say, painful to see. 



A good strong nest contains about a teaspoonf ul — from 200 or so of 

 eggs — each about the size of a mustard seed. By the time — about 

 fourteen days in hot weather — they begin to hatch out, the flow of the 

 water, caused by the fanning, seems to loosen the texture of the nest, 

 and as the young emerge from the egg the anxiety of the mid-husband 

 (I can't call him mid-wife) begins, and his watchfulness and attention 

 to increase until it reminds one of a panting colley dog on the skirts of 

 a flock of sheep keeping them together. As they escape from the shell, 

 he sucks or gulps the shell into his mouth, as he does other waste 

 materials, carries it a few inches and blows it out to float away. 



The young fry at first keep well together, circling about in the 

 opening of the nest, but as they grow stronger they venture into the 

 water around, where they are liable to be snapped up by the full 

 grown of their own kind who are passing near. Now it is amusing 

 to watch the extra industry and affection with which the male nurse 

 will dart after the vagrants. He cannot well carry them as a cat does 

 a stray kitten by the back of the neck, but as one may float out and 

 away he follows it and it disappears, having been simply sucked into 

 his mouth. While wondering what has become of the straggler, you 

 notice he turns about, advances to the opening, and puffs or projects it, 

 head over tail, back into the nest, more deftly, indeed, than Zazel is 

 projected out of the monster gun in her Aquarium. You see she is 

 well matched here, and not even original. This goes on constantly 

 until he can see that each one can poise or hold itself in the water. 



It is comical to see one of the Ashlings with half of the body out ot 

 its shell, sometimes the head only, sometimes the tail, making 

 wobbling attempts at swimming, and sometimes head and tail out, but 

 with the shell round the middle of the body, like " Johnny Stout " in 

 the pantomime. This finer work may partly be seen in a pool by 

 slipping a white shallow saucer, palette, or an oyster-shell or two white 



