138 NATURE'S CALENDAR 



June i8 the gar-pike of our rivers. " These fish 



are nocturnal in their habits, and in the 

 nights of the last of May and the first of 

 June they approach the shallow water in 

 large numbers for the purpose of laying 

 their eggs. These eggs are covered with 

 a very sticky envelope of complicated 

 structure, which immediately adheres to 

 any object with which it is brought in 

 contact. In its development it is much 

 like the bony fishes. When it hatches 

 from the egg it has a very large mouth 

 with a row of suckers above. By the aid 

 of these it attaches itself to submerged 

 stones. Now the fins begin to appear, 

 and in the space of two or three weeks 

 the suckers disappear, and the young 

 gar-pike swims freely." 



Salamanders are casting their skins, 

 and having acquired new ones are leav- 

 ing the water for dry land, whenever that 

 is their habit. 



The tortoises are laying eggs. "In 

 a swamp near my home," notes Dr. 

 Mearns, of Highland Falls, N. Y., refer- 

 ring to the speckled tortoise, "on June 

 13, 1883, I found a nest containing three 

 eggs, which were white, equally rounded 

 at both ends, and measured, respective- 

 ly, 1. 35 X. 70; i,29x.68; 1. 31 X. 68 inches. 

 The eggs were placed in mossy turf on 

 a stone in a bog. A small shallow ex- 

 cavation had been made by the parent, 

 and the eggs were covered after oviposi- 

 tion." 



