ORGANIC RESPONSE 



273 



wraps the strings of eggs around his legs and carries 

 them until they hatch. One of the most remarkable 

 of these habits is that of certain fishes which carry 

 their eggs in the mouth until they hatch. The large 

 " Gaff Topsail " catfish common along the Atlantic 

 Coast, and other sea catfishes, have this habit, 



FIG. 97. The Surinam Toad (Pipa). (From " A Textbook in Gen- 

 eral Zoology," copyright 1907, by Glenn W. Herrick. Permission of the 

 American Book Co., Publishers.) 



the eggs being carried from the time they are laid 

 until the young fish is able to swim about by itself, 

 at least three weeks, and in some cases probably 

 much longer. As in the other cases, it is the male 

 that- does this, and during this period, of course, 

 he takes no food. 



The most familiar example of parental care for 



