56 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



seashore, and however big we make the in- 

 verted commas we cannot persuade ourselves 

 that the maternal care of the sea-snakes is not 

 on the same line as that of any human mother, 

 vastly finer as that usually is. 



The quaint fish called the Lumpsucker or 

 Cock-Paidle (Cyclopterus lumpus) lays a big 

 bunch of reddish eggs in a corner of a deep 

 rock-pool low down on the shore, and over 

 this the father mounts guard, driving away 

 intruders. Every now and then he lashes with 

 his tail very vigorously beside the mass of 

 eggs, and this no doubt helps to aerate the 

 eggs and to scatter away the minute particles 

 of mud which might settle upon them. The 

 Lumpsucker has had its hind fins (pelvic fins) 

 shunted forwards and turned into a strong 

 muscular sucker, and he can grip a rock when 

 he is paddling vigorously with his tail. We 

 suppose the Scots name Cock-Paidle refers to 

 this paddling of the cock-fish. His paternal 

 duties occupy him for several weeks, and ob- 

 servers say that while he is on guard he neg- 

 lects his own meals. 



There are sticklebacks on the shore as well 

 as in fresh water, and the males make nests and 

 mount guard over them, but this story will 



