MA Y MUSES ioi 



One would like to know whether the young fish, 

 when first attempting the effort, are as successful 

 as their senior rivals ; probably not. They all 

 appear to be able to fan the nest for a minute or 

 more at one time, and to repeat the effort not only 

 at short intervals during the day, but far into the 

 night. Indeed, I have seen the light ripples on 

 shallow water, apparently due to the action of the 

 tail of the fish I had been watching, long after the 

 fish in question had become invisible owing to the 

 dusk. Seeing that the forward current produced 

 by the fins must equal that of the tail (or the fish 

 could not remain stationary in the water) it is clear 

 that in the case indicated the fish exerts a great 

 deal of energy. 



The eggs, which are nearly as large as mustard 

 seeds, are hatched in about twelve days ; and, as 

 several females will lay in the same nest, the fry 

 issue in successive batches. The fry are nearly a 

 quarter of an inch long. They are precocious, and 

 often wander into danger, when the parent goes to 

 bring them back again. If he took them up in his 

 teeth he would destroy them. An observer has 

 recorded that the old one brings back the young 



