CARE OF EGGS AND YOUNG. 245 



and busily set to work to make a collection of delicate 

 fibrous materials, resting on the ground, and matted 

 into an irregular circular mass, somewhat depressed, 

 and upwards of an inch in diameter, the top being 

 covered with similar materials, and having in the centre 

 a rather large hole. His work was commenced at noon- 

 da}^ and was completed and the eggs deposited by half- 

 past six in the afternoon. Nothing could exceed the 

 attention from this time evinced by the male fish. He 

 kept constant watch over the nest, every now and then 

 shaking up the materials and dragging out the eggs, and 

 then pushing them into their receptacles again and tuck- 

 ing them up with his snout, arranging the whole to his 

 mind, and again and again adjusting it until he was 

 satisfied; after wliich he hung or hovered over the 

 surface of the nest, his head close to the orifice, the body 

 inclined upwards at an angle of about 45°, fanning it 

 with the pectoral fins, aided by a side motion of the 

 tail. This curious manoeuvre was apparently for the 

 pui-pose of ventilating the spawn; at least by this means 

 a ciuTent of water was made to set in towards the nest, 

 as was evident by the agitation of particles of matter 

 attached to it. This fanning, or ventilation, was fre- 

 quently repeated every day till the young were hatched ; 

 and sometimes the little fellow would dive head foremost 

 into his nursery and bring out a mouthful of sand, which 

 he would carry to some distance and discharge with a 

 puif. At the end of a month the young ones were first 

 perceived. The nest was built on the 23rd April ; the 

 young appeared first, May 21st. 



Unremitting as had been the attention of this exem- 

 plary parent up to the time of the hatching of the eggs, 

 he now redoubled his assiduity. He never left the spot 

 either by night or by day ; and during the daytime he 



