248 Mr. J. Blackwall on the Structure, Functions, (Economy, 



would therefore appear also to possess, at first, the characters of 

 the Shanny ; but as development goes on, the jaws are pushed 

 out, the belly is reduced in comparative size, and the dorsal and 

 anal fins are shortened, and become ultimately separated from 

 the caudal. Thus, in course of time, the young gradually as- 

 sume the form and characters of the parent. And there can be 

 little doubt that this would have been found to be the case with 

 the young of the Fifteen-spined Stickleback, had Mr. Couch 

 watched their development a little longer. The obtuse form of 

 the head, on which that gentleman places much stress, is the 

 embryonic condition of all fishes ; the elongation of the jaws is 

 always an after-development. 



In conclusion it may be remarked, that of the three or four 

 other species of fish, described to nidify, one, a native of Deme- 

 rara, is stated to remain by the side of the nest with as much 

 solicitude as the hen guards her eggs ; the same is said respect- 

 ing another species inhabiting the Black Sea : but in none, so 

 far as I am aware, has parental attachment been observed to 

 equal that evinced by the Three-spined Stickleback. Yet we 

 must not, therefore, conclude that it does not exist to the same 

 extent in others of the finny tribes. The habits of these animals 

 are very little known ; and who can say what time may bring to 

 light respecting the oeconomy of the inhabitants of the deeper 

 regions of the sea ? It is only, as it were, the other day that 

 nothing was known of the nidification of the Three-spined Stickle- 

 back, — a resident of almost every pool, river, and rivulet in the 

 kingdom. 



XXII. — A Catalogue of British Spiders, including remarks on 

 their Structure, Functions, (Economy, and Systematic Arrange- 

 ment. By John Blackwall, F.L.S. 



[Concluded from p. 189.] 



198. Ep'eira bicornis. 



Ep'eira bicornis, Walck. Hist. Nat. des Insect. Apt. t. ii. p. 1 24 ; 



Blackw. Linn. Trans, vol. xix. p. 126 ; Koch, Die Arachn. B. xi. 



p. 92. tab. 382. fig. 902, 903. 

 arhustorum, Koch, Uebers. des Arachn. Syst. erstes Heft, p. 3. 



In the wooded parts of Denbighshire this rare species occurs 

 on the trunks of trees. It pairs in June, and in July the female 

 constructs a subglobose cocoon of light brown silk of a loose 

 texture, about ^rd of an inch in diameter, which includes her 



eggs. 



