THE MOTHER MURRE 69 



other enemies, until the young shall hatch and be 

 able to swim away by themselves. Here he stays for 

 a month, without eating or sleeping, so far as we 

 know. 



It is the male toadfish that crawls into the nest- 

 hole and takes charge of the numerous family. He 

 may dig the hole, too, as the male stickleback builds 

 the nest. I do not know as to that. But I have raised 

 many a stone in the edge of the tide along the shore 

 of Naushon Island in Buzzard's Bay, to find the 

 under surface covered with round, drop-like, amber 

 eggs, and in the shallow cavity beneath, an old male 

 toadfish, slimy and croaking, and with a countenance 

 ugly enough to turn a prowling eel to stone. The 

 female deposits the eggs, glues them fast with much 

 nicety to the under surface of the rock, as a female 

 might, and finishes her work. Departing at once, she 

 leaves the coming brood to the care of the male, who 

 from this time, without relief or even food in all 

 probability, assumes the role and all the responsibili- 

 ties of mother, and must consequently feel all the 

 mother-love. 



Something like this is true of the common horn- 

 pout, or catfish, I believe, though I have never seen 

 it recorded, and lack the chance at present of prov- 

 ing my earlier observations. I think it is father 

 catfish that takes charge of the brood, of the 

 swarm of kitten catfish, from the time the spawn 

 is laid. 



