Nest- Building Fishes. 161 







been, the industrious little workers scouring the neighbor- 

 hood for them, seemingly piling up eggs and stones alter- 

 nately until the heap attains a height of eight inches or 

 more. These heaps vary in shape, some being pyramidal, 

 and others dome-shaped. 



Such patience as these finny housekeepers manifest is not 

 appreciated by man. The gleaners of the golden fields, in 

 whose waters our little friends are found, have not discovered 

 their secret, and think the curious piles the washes of the 

 brook itself. But their purpose is the protection of their 

 eggs. In swift-running streams, which these fish are so wont 

 to affect, the eggs would be washed away, and, driven against 

 rocks and snags, would be destroyed, or, even escaping 

 destruction, would, by the undulating movement to which 

 they would become subjected, be rendered impossible of 

 incubation. Besides, were they not thus protected, even 

 though there was no danger of being washed away, they 

 would become easy prey to the attacks of carnivorous 

 fishes. 



Unlike as the Lamprey-eels are in structure to the Dace, 

 yet in their habits of erecting a nest they are very similar. 

 Upon our Eastern sea-board they are a common species, 

 inhabiting both salt and fresh water. In the early spring 

 they follow the shad up the rivers, occasionally preceding 

 them, and search about for suitable localities in which to 

 deposit their spawn. They clean away the stones as the 

 Dace were seen to do, bending their long bodies in coils, 

 which they use in pushing aside the accumulation on the 

 bottom. To the unlearned the appearance of two Eels, each 

 three feet in length, twisting and seemingly coiling about 

 each other, would be indicative" of war. But having cleaned 

 for themselves a smooth spot, the Lampreys proceed to place 

 stones. Irregularly-shaped stones of small size are easily 

 and quickly transported in their mouths, but when stones 

 that weigh several pounds are to be brought, the tactics they 

 adopt are worthy of an engineer. As the spots chosen for 



