OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 93 



the general shoal, commence excavating deep hollows in 

 the sand and shingle forming the flooring of their large 

 tank, measuring some twenty feet in length and breadth. 

 Each of the males thus separated from his fellows, now 

 mounts guard over his respective hollow and the adjacent 

 area, and vigorously repels, with certain exceptions, the too 

 close approach of every member of the deserted shoal. The 

 exceptions in question are the mature females, which by 

 every means in his power he endeavours to entice within 

 the charmed circle over which he rules supreme, and which 

 is ultimately shown to be a spawning bed, prepared by 

 him for the female fish. One of the most curious circum- 

 stances attending these spawning operations, however, is 

 the remarkable transformation of colour undergone by the 

 male. Losing his ordinary attire of silvery grey, he 

 gradually grows darker and darker, until he has assumed the 

 almost black hue characteristic of the fish under ordinary 

 conditions, some time after death, the lips alone remaining 

 ashy pale, and his aspect under these auspices being 

 preternaturally grim. The hatching out of the ova de- 

 posited was unfortunately not accomplished, they appar- 

 ently coming to an untimely end through the attacks of the 

 non-breeding shoal, and as indeed commonly happens 

 where a large number of fish are confined within the limits 

 of an aquarium tank. The hitherto reputed solitary 

 habits of the Black Bream, and also the tradition that the 

 male attaches itself to one mate for life, were thus disproved 

 by these observations : The male, as in the case of the Stickle- 

 back, though grim-looking as Othello, proves himself the 

 very gayest of gay Lotharios in his attentions to the fairer 

 sex, and is indeed never so happy as when he can succeed in 

 decoying one female after the other to share the honours of 



