RIVER LAMPREY 



of a little pit hollowed out of the bed of the river. 

 Both sexes help in its construction, and by the aid of 

 their suckers these industrious builders fasten upon 

 and remove stones both up and down stream. When 

 the female has deposited her eggs in the nest, they 

 are covered with a sticky secretion wliich fastens them 



River Lamprej/ 



Fig 29. 



together, and in addition, stones are removed from 

 above the receptacle so that sand is carried by the flow 

 of the water towards the abode, and some of this settles 

 upon and helps to more securely cover the eggs, the 

 lower part having been banked up with stones previously 

 removed. After the young have passed through their 



Planers Lam^r^y ^'3 ^° 



various stages, some descend to the sea, but in some 



rivers, and in my favourite Scottish Loch, Loch Lomond, 



many never leave its precious shores. I could wish that 



1 myself was similarly favoured. They thus number 



among them migratory individuals and permanent 



residents. In addition to attaching themselves to, and 



feeding upon, the bodies of other fishes. Lampreys are 



61 



