FISHES OF NEW YORK 341 



about one fourth of the total without caudal. The eye is one 

 fourth as long as the head. The sides are covered by about 

 33 bony plates. The processes from the shoulder girdle cover 

 the breast except a small naked area between them. At the 

 base of each dorsal spine is a large rough bony plate to which 

 the spine is hinged in such a way that it may be fixed and im- 

 movable at the will of the fish. The pelvic bone is lanceolate. 

 A cusp at the base of the ventral spine. The spines are all 

 closely serrated, those in front of the anal and soft dorsal 

 smallest. D. II, I, 11-13; A. I, 9. 



The living fish is greenish olive, lighter on the sides, the 

 lower parts silvery. The gill covers are silvery with dusky 

 spots; the iris silvery; pupil black; fins pale; the ventral mem- 

 brane sometimes red. 



The two spined stickleback or burn stickle is found on both 

 sides of the Atlantic, its range on our coast extending southward 

 at least to New Jersey and northward to Labrador. This is the 

 largest of the sticklebacks and is said to grow to a length of 

 4 inches. In the North Pacific and Bering sea there is a related 

 species, G. cataphractus Pallas, which has been styled 

 the salmon killer. In Pennsylvania Mr Seal has found this 

 fish abundant in pools and ditches along the Delaware. 



De Kay found this stickleback in the salt creeks about New 

 York and in the Hudson river as far up as Albany. The state 

 museum obtained it in 1898 in Shinnecock bay, July 22, and in 

 Scallop pond, Peconic bay, July 28. It is not common in sum- 

 mer. The following notes are from an article by Eugene Smith 

 of Hoboken. 



Exceedingly common in the tidal creeks in the spring. The 

 nest of this fish is made on and in the sand with the aid of bits 

 of straw, weeds, etc. After the female has deposited the eggs, 

 the male stands over the nest and fans it with the pectorals, 

 only leaving to get food, or to resent an intrusion; he often 

 kills the female with whom he h^s paired. During this time the 

 male is red below and bluish and greenish above, with indistinct 

 darker bars. After the spawning season is over, they seem to 

 die off, at least they do in captivity. With proper attention 

 the young can be raised to quite a size. 



