252 



NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



crimson ones in a tank, and in a few days they were green 

 and blue, the ordinary livery. These colours do not seem 

 to be due to environment, as one would expect, for 

 often green and red are taken in the same stroke of 

 the net. 



Cottus lays its eggs in early spring, March and April. 



Fig. 100. (j 



payandlux at home. Upper one female, lower one 

 male, f Natural size 



They are round, and agglutinated into crisp -feeling masses 

 of about the size of a walnut, firmly cemented in some 

 rock crevice, but often on the bare face of the rock. At 

 first the eggs are of a whity-brown colour, but soon 

 appear green, as in those last described. 



If a cluster of these eggs, when they are green and the 

 mass begins to disintegrate, is brought home dty, and then 

 placed in a jar of sea -water, the liberation of the young 



