110 NESTS OF STICKLEBACK. [PART I. 



the hinges fitting into each other crosswise. You 

 then give them a twist, when the weaker, as is the 

 way of the world, gives way to the stronger, and 

 his delicate, yellow, hooked form, " the soul of his 

 beauty and love lies bare," exposed to your tender 

 mercies. Though I dare say many of the Flat-fish 

 were not very large, yet some of them were really 

 of a very respectable size, being nearly as large 

 as soup-plates : the Eels were not remarkable for 

 their proportions. However the whole made up 

 a basket of fish which I was uncommonly proud of, 

 and, I think, contributed a little to propitiate the 

 authorities, from whom, as it was, I got a very 

 decided "wigging" for my audacious conduct in 

 making my appearance some three hours after I 

 ought to have been at my lessons. 



I used, on these occasions, to notice with much 

 interest the nests of the Stickleback, which were 

 far from uncommon in the pools where we found 

 our Flat-fish. They were almost invariably form- 

 ed by oyster, or other flat shells, the large ends 

 of which were slightly raised above the sand, and 

 presented generally so uniformly similar an ap- 

 pearance, that I scarcely ever failed to detect one 

 of them among a number of ordinary shells in the 

 vicinity, my suspicions being very frequently con- 



