228 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



through it, remaining inside half a minute or so. After 

 having thus prepared his nest for her reception, he re- 

 turned to the female, and swam slowly round and round 

 her, frequently passing in front of her. The gay rogue ! 

 He knew she could not resist those rosy cheeks and that 

 bright-blue eye. Nevertheless he felt it his duty to dig 

 her several times in the ribs, and was clearly somewhat 

 annoyed that she delayed so long to come to his nest. 

 Unfortunately I was then called away from my room, so 

 that I did not on this occasion see her pass through the 

 nest and lay her eggs there. After she has spawned, the 

 female is often weakly for some time, and will die unless 

 carefully and frequently fed. 



And here I may record a somewhat curious observation. 

 On one occasion I placed a large but somewhat sickly 

 female in the tank in which a bright little male but one 

 rather too much given to the rougher mode of courtship 

 had made his nest. The good lady ha.d for a couple of 

 days or so completely lost her appetite. Uncertain, there-- 

 fore, whether this was her mortal illness or merely an 

 indisposition preparatory to spawning, I ventured to intro- 

 duce her to the little rosy-gilled Thornie who had prepared 

 for his future wife so snug a nest. Soon after this, I left 

 my room for the evening. 



When I returned next morning I found, to my surprise, 

 that the male was quite sober-hued ; that he had indeed 

 lost all the bright metallic colour of the night before. 

 Looking into the tank I saw the female over the nest. 

 She was quite motionless. Her eye was white. I saw 

 that she was dead. Carefully removing her body, I gave 

 it decent burial in spirits. In ten minutes the male had 

 torn the nest to pieces. Towards afternoon he began to 

 build a fresh nest in a new place, and showed some signs 

 of returning colour. Next morning he had nearly, but 



