ITS NEST. 125 



proved to be the young of some fish. The nest varies 

 a great deal in size, but rarely exceeds six inches in 

 length, or four inches in breadth. It is pear-shaped, 

 and composed of sea- weed or the common coralline as 

 they hang suspended from the rock. They are brought 

 together, without being detached from their places of 

 growth, by a delicate opaque white thread. This thread 

 is highly elastic, and very much resembles silk, both 

 in appearance and texture : this is brought round the 

 plants, and tightly binds them together, plant after 

 plant, till the ova, which are deposited early, are com- 

 pletely hidden from view. This silk-like thread is 

 passed in all directions through and around the mass, 

 in a very complicated manner. At first the thread is 

 semi-fluid, but by exposure it solidifies ; and hence con- 

 tracts and binds the substance forming the nest so 

 closely together that it is able to withstand the violence 

 of the sea, and may be thrown carelessly about without 

 derangement. In the centre are deposited the ova, very 

 similar to the masses of frog- spawn in ditches. 



" Some of these nests are formed in pools, and are 

 consequently always in water : others are frequently to 

 be found between tide -marks, in situations where they 

 hang dry for several hours in the day ; but whether in. 

 the water or liable to hang dry, they are always care- 

 fully watched by the adult animal. On one occasion I 



