SILK-LIKE THREADS TO ANCHOR. 251 



as though for the sake of ornament, our little architect 

 has placed at the point where the nest is thickest a hit 

 of brilHant blood-red weed. Nay, more, it appears as 

 though the builder of the nest, fearing the risk of dis- 

 covery, had worJfed in great broad portions of brown 

 ribbon weed, which should act, firstly, as a covering, or 

 band, to keep the whole structure together; and, 

 secondly, to serve the purposes of concealment. So 

 beautifully, indeed, is this nest constructed for the con- 

 cealment of the eggs, that unless the naturahst to 

 whom the nest was sent had been previously aware 

 what the structure meant, he might easily have been 

 pardoned if he had not seen the eggs at all. After a 

 careful dissection of the outer coatings of the nest, the 

 eggs themselves came into view. These eggs are round 

 little bodies about the size and colour of mustard seed. 

 They are in bunches like grapes, and we try whether 

 they are to be separated from the bunch with ease. 

 Another marvel ; the body of eggs are all sewed into a 

 compact mass by a very thin, delicate fibre, which in 

 the sun ghstens like a cobweb or the very finest floss 

 silk. The filaments which hold the eggs are worked 

 through, over, and round them, so as to form a com- 

 plete network. Here there is another mystery. How 

 is it possible that a fish can secrete or otherwise obtain 

 a silk-like thread, and having secreted the thread, how 

 does it manage to work up the material composing the 

 nest and to fasten the eggs in such a position that they 

 are safe ? " 



The Half-armed, Smooth-tailed, Short-sjnned, and the 

 Ten-spined SticJdebacJcs are the remaining British species. 

 They are very similar in appearance, and probably in 

 habits, to their brethren. 



