The Stickleback. 487 



perienced angler, even with a bent pin and coarse thread. 

 Its hiding-places are among loose stones, under which 

 the peculiar flattened form of its head enables it to thrust 

 itself. Its popular name seems to have suggested itself 

 from the resemblance the head of the fish is supposed to 

 bear to the form of a miller's thumb, the peculiar con- 

 formation of which is produced by his mode of testing 

 samples of meal. 



THE STICKLEBACK, (Gastuostius aculiatus,) 



Is one of our smallest fishes, and appears to live indiffer- 

 ently in fresh and salt water. It is exceedingly common 

 in every pond, and may be caught easily, either with a 

 hand-net, or by fishing for it with a small worm tied to the 

 end of a piece of cotton ; he bites at this so boldly that 

 he may be drawn out of the water without the aid of a 

 hook. His name of Stickleback is given to him from his 

 having thin spines on the back instead of a fin; the 

 sides of his body are covered with thin bony plates, and 

 his ventral fins consist of single, strong, and sharp spines, 

 which constitute formidable offensive weapons. 



The Stickleback, although so common, is one of the 

 most interesting of fishes, on account of the singularity 

 of its habits in the breeding season. Instead of deposit- 

 ing its eggs in the sand or mud, and leaving them to 

 take care of themselves, the Stickleback builds a curious 

 nest of fragments of vegetable matter, and defends this 

 most valiantly against all intruders until the hatching 

 of the young ; the parental solicitude does not cease until 

 the young Sticklebacks have grown too big to be any 

 longer controlled. One curious feature in the business 

 is, that it is the male that takes all this trouble ; he builds 

 the nest, exposes himself to every danger in its defence, 

 and watches anxiously over the vagaries of his young 

 progeny, the female having nothing to do but to deposit 

 her eggs in the already prepared nest. 



The Stickleback is an extremely pugnacious fish. 

 The males fight together furiously, and the colours of 

 their bodies become much more brilliant while they are 

 so occupied than at any other time. 



