SHORE FISHES. 255 



shelter for a time, coming home unfailingly to roost. This is 

 a fish that may be taken freely among the weeds of bays and 

 harbours, and as it reaches a length of from twelve to fifteen 

 inches, it is a giant compared with the little Worm Pipe-fish. 



The Worm Pipe-fish has no fins except that along the back 

 (dorsal], and its tail-fin is almost non-existent; it can, how- 

 ever, be found by looking for it. It has no marsupial pouch, 

 but the female contrives to transfer her eggs to the abdomen 

 of the male, where each sinks into a little pit in which it is 

 held until hatched. How this is accomplished I have not 

 observed; but as I have found the strings of ova indepen- 

 dently in my aquaria, I should suppose the male presses his 

 body upon them until they adhere. These eggs are one 

 millimetre in diameter, amber-coloured, and opalescent. 

 They are firmly attached together in rows of twos or threes, 

 and these rows in circular strings. They are firm to the touch 

 and not at all adhesive, so the glutinous matter, necessary for 

 their adhesion to the male, must be contributed by that 

 parent. It is* interesting to note that when these tiny 

 creatures leave the egg the tail has a proper broad fin at 

 its extremity and extending along both the back and under- 

 side. It has also pectoral fins ; but all these except a part of 

 that along the back become absorbed, or are otherwise got 

 rid o? is the fish grows and becomes more worm-like. So 

 smooth and round is this species that it presents little 

 evidence of being clothed in plates instead of scales, until 

 one looks very closely, when the outlines of each plate will be 

 found indicated. 



If the Worm Pipe-fish be captured . with care, and soon 

 transferred to the aquarium, it will be found quite a hardy 

 and interesting inhabitant. Of course, its comfort must be 

 studied, and to this end you must provide a flat stone, so 

 propped up that it is very close to the. bottom of the tank, 

 yet with sufficient space beneath for the Pipe-fish to wriggle 

 about. I write these notes with such an arrangement before 



