PROPAGATION 



63 



colour and both are apparently uniformly coloured over the 

 body." 



"In a few minutes after the fish have entered the nest 

 one of them begins to show dark spots on the sides and at 

 the end of five minutes is sharply mottled over the whole 

 body. (The subsequent behaviour of this fish, as well as 

 the fact, later observed, that it is 

 thicker bodied, showed it to be the 

 female). 



"At the angle of the free border 

 of the opercle of the female is a 

 white spot, and above this the caudal 

 end of the stripe through the eye 

 ends in a darker spot. This white 

 spot stands out with great distinct- 

 ness in this female under sexual ex- 

 citement, though it is visible at all 

 times in both male and female. It 

 occupies the position of the ear flap 

 in the other sunfishes. The female is 

 but little thicker than the male and 

 (contrary to the usual condition) is 

 lighter coloured. The male is slightly 

 mottled and has the black and white 

 ear spot. The upper and back part 



of his eye (iris) is scarlet, while that of the female remains 

 brown, though in other females I have seen the eye tempor- 

 arily red. The male is then distinguished by his red eyes, more 

 slender form and darker colour. The mottling of the body 

 of the female here described is present at all times in both 

 males and females, but is ordinarily very inconspicuous 

 because the network, in the meshes of which are the darker 

 spots, is itself almost as dark as the spots. Under sexual 

 excitement this network fades (probably by contraction 

 of its pigment cells) to a light green colour and the darker 



