ACANTHOPTERYGII. 117 



more of these beds, some within a few feet of each 

 other, and some several yards apart. Instead of 

 abandoning its spawn, as others of the family are 

 wont to do, this little fish keeps guard over it with 

 all the care of a sitting bird. You observe it poised 

 over the bed, watching the objects around. Should 

 the rotten leaf of a tree, a piece of wood, or any 

 other substance, happen to be rolled over the border 

 of the bed, the Sun-fish carefully removes it, holding 

 the obnoxious matter in its mouth, and dropping it 

 over the margin. Having many times witnessed 

 this act of prudence and cleanliness in the little 

 Sunny, and observed that at this period it will not 

 seize on any kind of bait, I took it into my head one 

 fair afternoon to make a few experiments for the 

 purpose of judging how far its instinct or reason 

 might induce it to act when disturbed or harassed. 



" Provided with a fine fishing-line, and such 

 insects as I knew were relished by this fish, I 

 reached a sand-bar, covered by about one foot of 

 water, where I had previously seen many deposits. 

 Approaching the nearest to the shore with great 

 care, I baited my hook with a living ground worm, 

 the greater part of which was left at liberty to writhe 

 as it pleased, and throwing the line up the stream, 

 managed it so that at last it passed over the border 

 of the nest, where I allowed it to remain on the 

 bottom. The fish, I perceived, had marked me, and 

 as the worm intruded on his premises, he swam to 

 the farther side, there poised himself for a few mo- 

 ments, then approached the worm and carried it in his 



