BY THE SIDE OF AN AQUARIUM. 167 



liable to change colour. With regard to the habits of 

 this species, Sir Francis Day, a distinguished naturalist, 

 who has studied carefully the subject of Indian fishes and 

 fisheries, records the following observation : "This fish 

 is termed 'the fiddler 1 in Mysore ; I touched one which 

 was on the wet ground, at which it appeared to become 

 very irate, erecting its dorsal fin and making a noise 

 resembling the buzzing of a bee, evidently a sign of anger. 

 When I put some small carp into an aquarium containing 

 one of these fishes, it rushed at the small example, seized it 

 by the middle of its back, and shook it like a dog killing a 

 rat ; at this time, the barbies of the Macrones were stiffened 

 out laterally like a cat's whiskers." Younger and smaller 

 specimens may live amicably with other species. 



Closely allied to the above species is the yellow 

 tengrah found in Northern India, the Punjab and 

 Assam, It is a smaller fish seldom exceeding four 

 inches in length, is of a brilliant yellow colour, with black 

 shoulder spots and four or five longitudinal lines. 



Look at the pretty gambols of these tiny homely 

 creatures. Active and inquisitive, some of them are 

 busy exploring every part of the aquarium, while others 

 have taken possession of a corner behind a small pot of 

 plant, and are ready to fight in defence of their home 

 against all intruders. One lay in ambush and has just 

 surprised a khalisa. What are they ? Good heavens ; all 

 this ado about some despicable titpunti. They are, no 

 doubt, commonplace things, but at the same time they 

 are objects of great interest to a student of Nature. The 



