VERTEBRATA 251 



It is very interesting to watch the escape of the little 

 fishes from the egg. A few scraped from the stone and 

 placed in a saucer of sea- water can be well observed with 

 the naked eye, although better with a lens. As the period 

 of liberation approaches the little fish wriggles violently 

 within its prison, then the membrane breaks at one end 

 and the little prisoner emerges, tail first ; sometimes he 

 is stopped half way, then the wriggles cease, to afford a 

 little rest, then they are renewed, and the little fish swims 

 off in a matter-of fact way, as if it had been in the habit 

 of being hatched. 



The yolk, enclosed in a sac, remains attached to its 

 ventral region, and affords a supply of nourishment until 

 it is able to capture prey, which is a matter of several 

 days. 



I believe, but am not sure, that the male keeps watch 

 while the eggs are undergoing incubation, as a male 

 fish is always present under the stones where the eggs are 

 found. A pair of these gobies are shown in the photo 

 (Fig. 106). 



Tolerably common in the same situations, but also 

 among weeds at the foot of rocks, is the " Father Lasher " 

 or " Sting-fish " (Cottus bubalis). This, in appearance, is a 

 formidable fellow, the head is very large in proportion to 

 the body, and is armed with four spines on the gill covers. 

 It has a habit of swelling out these gill covers when dis- 

 turbed which increases its terrifying aspect. As a matter 

 of fact it does not sting, at least in the manner of the true 

 sting-fishes viz. the Weever and the Dragonet. Full- 

 grown individuals are about six inches long. The colour- 

 ing is very varied, but always beautiful ; the prevalent 

 tints are green and blue, arranged without definite order ; 

 sometimes there is an admixture of red with the green and 

 blue, and some individuals are of a uniform crimson. 



But the colours are changeable. I have had some 



F^x 



UNIVERSITY II 



