54 FISH CULTURE 



tion of the female during the period of spawn- 

 ing, is manifestly too large for her needs. 

 Perhaps the size is due to the polygamous in- 

 stincts of the male. Be this as it may, it is not 

 an uncommon thing to see the male surrounded 

 by two, three, or even as many as five, females 

 when on the nest, sometimes fertilising the eggs 

 of one after the other, and occasionally of two 

 simultaneously. 



The sun-fish seems to be very sensitive to ob- 

 servation during the process of spawning. 

 Every few minutes the operation will be sus- 

 pended while the male darts suddenly from the 

 nest and encircles it a few feet distant; if any 

 other fish happens to be near he will attack it 

 savagely, drive it away, and return with a 

 jaunty air to his mate or mates. 



Hour by hour and day by day the spawning 

 is continued, until all the eggs of one or more 

 females are deposited, and the bottom of the 

 nest seems to be literally covered with small 

 grains of coarse, translucent sand. In the 

 majority of cases the females leave to the male 

 the task of keeping these eggs clean until they 



