702 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



its eggs in which the progeny is wrapped up 

 with the materials of which the nest itself is 

 composed; and as these . materials consist of 

 the living Gulf weed, the fish cradle, rocking 

 upon the deep ocean, is carried along as in an 

 arbor, which affords protection and afterwards 

 food also, to its living freight. This marvel- 

 ous story acquires additional interest, when we 

 consider the characteristic peculiarities of the 

 genus Chironectes. As its name indicates, it 

 has fin-like hands ; that is to say, the pectoral 

 fins are supported by a kind of long wrist-like 

 appendage, and the rays of the ventrals are 

 not unlike rude fingers. With these limbs 

 these fishes have long been known to attach 

 themselves to sea-weeds, and rather to walk 

 than to swim in their natural element. But 

 now that we know their mode of reproduction, 

 it may fairly be asked if the most important 

 use of their peculiarly constructed fins is not 

 the building of their nest? . . . There thus 

 remains one closing chapter to the story. May 

 some naturalist, becalmed among the Gulf 

 weed, have the good fortune to witness the 

 process by which the nest is built. . . . 



This whole investigation was of the greatest 

 interest to Agassiz, and, coming so early in 



