106 THE AUTHOR AND HIS PET BLENNY. 



after a brief absence from home, I observed the 

 largest of my Blenriies to be apparently in an ' inter- 

 esting condition/ I watched and petted her many 

 times daily, and fed her with every suitable dainty 

 that could be thought of. Sometimes I took her 

 in the palm of my hand, and with a fine camel- 

 hair pencil stroked her glossy back. This operation 

 evidently gave great delight to the little beauty; and 

 after a while, when my hand was laid in the water, 

 she gently floated off into her native element with 

 almost swan-like grace. 



The law of nature being the same with this fish 

 as with the Stickleback, I knew the nest, if there 

 was to be one at all, should be built by the male. 

 But as I could not detect any specimen of the 

 ' sterner sex ' among my pack, and there being 

 no signs of preparation for the grand event about to 

 take place, I felt in a manner compelled to carry 

 out the nidifying task in my own humble way. Of 

 course, I gave up all idea of * weaving ' a nest with 

 bits of weed, stones, and marine glue ; nor was such 

 a style of structure a desideratum in the present 

 instance, wanting, as I did, to take notes, in Paul 

 Pry fashion, of the minutest particular that might 

 occur within the building. The following was the 

 plan I adopted. First was procured the exquisitely 

 formed valve of a large Pecten, the interior of 

 which was white and beautifully irridescent. This 

 pretty cot, I said to myself, shall serve as a 



