THE STICKLEBACKS. 203 



and pugnacious. Yarrell says it rarely lives above two years. 

 It has a most voracious appetite, and feeds upon worms, 

 larvae, water-shrimps, and even upon its own eggs, as well 

 as the ova and fry of every kind of fish. Its pugnacity is 

 extraordinary, and it does not hesitate to attack fish many 

 times bigger than itself. Day quotes the following : lt Mr. 

 Mable, at the Weston-super-Mare Museum, had some three- 

 spined sticklebacks, and some roach (Leuciscus rutilus) were 

 also added. With this invasion the prior inhabitants were 

 dissatisfied, but not frightened, as they forthwith attacked 

 the new-comers, biting at them anywhere until they became 

 thoroughly cowed. These little tyrants were observed to 

 place themselves in front of the roach, steady themselves 

 by their tails, and then suddenly dart straight at the lips 

 of their intended prey, from which they bit pieces out. 

 These attacks were continued until all the roach had been 

 killed, when they were eaten by their conquerors. Mr. 

 O'Delly mentions placing some carp and tench in a tank 

 containing sticklebacks. Almost immediately these little 

 furies attacked the carp, and gave them no rest until they 

 died, which occurred in three or four days, not one of them 

 having more than a vestige of fin or tail left. The tench 

 were left alone " (" Fishes of Great Britain," p. 242). 



The male is the fighting fish, and is easily distinguished 

 from the females by its brilliant green, red, and pink colours, 

 especially at spawning-time. 



The stickleback has a variety of provincial names 

 Prickleback, Tittlebat, Jacksharp, Sharpling, Pricky, Ban- 

 sticle, Fiery-Loch (male), Enemy-Chit (female), Stickling, 

 Stanstickle, Pow, &c. In Scotland, Banstickle and Sharp- 

 lin. In Ireland, Thornback and Pinkeen. In France it is 

 called LlEpinoche. 



The stickleback is a favourite food with trout. Only 

 the other day we landed a fine trout of one and a half 

 pound, and we took no less than twelve of these little 

 fish from its maw. In some of the Scotch lakes where stickle- 

 backs have been introduced the trout have thriven wonder- 

 fully upon them. Where fish were formerly considered 

 large at a pound-weight, they are now taken from 2 to 4 Ibs. 



