108 THE STORY OF FISH LIFE. 



done, he jealously watches over the eggs till 

 they hatch, renewing the froth from time to 

 time, and then, like the stickle-back, transfers 

 his affections to the young, guarding them with 

 great care. 



One of the beaked fishes of tropical Africa, 

 Gymnarchus , builds a floating nest in about three 

 feet of water. Mr Budgett, who discovered this, 

 describes it as of about two feet long and a foot 

 wide ; the walls of the nest stood several inches 

 above the surface of the water, on two sides and 

 at one end. The opposite end was low, and at 

 this end was the entrance to the nest. 



The males of some of the cat-fishes carry 

 the eggs about in the mouth, or in the gill- 

 chamber, thus ensuring both protection and 

 perfect aeration ! 



Amongst the fresh -water fishes known as 

 chromids, tropical of Africa and America, the 

 males of certain species build shallow nests, and 

 sit upon the eggs. This fact was discovered by 

 Lostert in one of the chromids of Lake Tiberias. 

 What is also unexpected in this connection is 

 the fact that although these males undertake 

 the duties of incubation, they do not adopt a 

 dull coloration as is so often done amongst 

 the birds. It is, of course, possible that the 

 brilliant coloration of the male may after all 

 prove to be not conspicuous, but protective. 



Instances of the female taking care of her 

 offspring are, according to the high authority 

 of Dr Giinther, exceedingly rare in fishes. Only 

 a few examples appear to be known. One of 

 these is a cat-fish, one of the siluroids. In this 



