374 COMMON FISH OF AN INDIAN GARDEN 



of the rainy season. On looking down through 

 the limpid water one sees a great shoal of very 

 small fish, each of them about an inch or some- 

 what less in length, of a semi-transparent brown, 

 and decorated with three longitudinal bands of vivid 

 yellow on the back and sides. They glide gently 

 about close to the bank, busily feeding on invisible 

 objects adhering to the aquatic grasses and pond- 

 weeds. The sight of such a multitude of lovely 

 little creatures oaring themselves about in the clear 

 water would in itself be very attractive, but what 

 renders it specially fascinating is that the moving 

 shoal is persistently attended by a pair, or more 

 rarely by a single specimen, of much larger, mottled 

 grey fish who follow it anxiously about from place 

 to place. At first sight they might be suspected 

 of evil intent, but a little study of their habits is 

 enough to show that they are innocent of any 

 desire to prey upon their little companions. The 

 latter do not seem to be in the least alarmed by 

 their presence, and often seem quite ready to be 

 herded by them' in their travels. Owing to their 

 relatively large size, the chaperones are often unable 

 to follow their charges into the recesses of the 

 marginal fringe of weeds, and are forced to remain 

 hovering anxiously about outside it in the open 

 water opposite the point at which the shoal is 

 feeding. When the fry keep together all goes 

 well, but, if they break up into several parties, 



