224 NEST OF THE STICKLEBACK. 



Should the reaper be disposed to place his newly-captured specimens in an aquarium, 

 he must make up his mind that they will fight desperately at first, and until they have 

 satisfactorily settled the championship of the tank their intercourse will be of the most 

 aggressive character. Never were such creatures to fight as the Sticklebacks, for they 

 will even go out of their way to attack anything which they think may possibly offend 

 them, and they have no more hesitation in charging at a human being than at one of their 

 own species. I have known one of these belligerent fish make repeated dashes at my 

 walking stick, knocking his nose so hard against his inanimate antagonist that he in- 

 flicted a perceptible jar upon it, and in spite of the blows which his nose must have 

 suffered, returning to the combat time after time with undiminished spirit. 



These combats are, however, most common about the breeding season, when every 

 adult Stickleback challenges every other of his own sex, and they do little but fight 

 from morning to evening. They are as jealous as they are courageous, and will not 

 allow another fish to pass within a certain distance of their home without darting out 

 and offering battle. 



Any one may see these spirited little combats by quietly watching the inhabitants of 

 a clear streamlet on a summer day. The two antagonists dart at each other with spears 

 in rest, snap at each other's gills or head, and retain their grasp with the tenacity of a 

 bull-dog. They whirl round and round in the water, they drop, feint, attack, and retreat, 

 with astonishing quickness, until one confesses itself beaten, and makes off for shelter, 

 the conqueror snapping at its tail, and inflicting a parting bite. 



Then is the time to see the triumphant little creature in all the glory of his radiant 

 apparel ; for with his conquest he assumes the victor's crown : his back glows with 

 shining green, his sides and head are glorious with gold and scarlet, and his belly is 

 silvery white. It is a little creature certainly, but even among the brilliant inhabitants 

 of the southern seas, a more gorgeously colored fish can hardly be found. If the 

 conqueror Stickleback could only be enlarged to the size of a full-grown perch or roach, 

 it would excite the greatest admiration. It is curious, that the vanquished antagonist 

 loses in brilliance as much as the conqueror has gained ; he sneaks off ignominiously 

 after his defeat, and hides himself, dull and sombre, until the time comes when he, too, 

 may conquer in fight, and proudly wear the gold and scarlet insignia of victory. 



These struggles are not only for mastery, but are in so far praiseworthy, that they 

 are waged in defence of home and family. 



The Stickleback is one of the very few fish who build houses for their young, as a 

 defence against the many foes which are ever lying in wait for the destruction of the 

 eggs or the newly-hatched young. These nests are built of various vegetable sub- 

 stances, and their structure is admirably described in the following passage extracted 

 from an educational magazine of 1834, and quoted by Mr. Couch in his valuable his- 

 tory of the British fish : 



" In a large dock for shipping on the river Thames, thousands of Pricklefish were 

 bred some years ago, and I have often amused myself for hours by observing them. 

 While multitudes have been enjoying themselves near the shore in the warm sunshine, 

 others have been busily engaged making their nests, if a nest it can be called. It con- 

 sisted of the very minutest pieces of straw or sticks, the exact color of the ground at 

 the bottom of the water on which it was laid, so that it was next to an impossibility for 

 any one to discover the nest, unless they saw the fish at work, or observed the eggs. 



The nest is somewhat larger than a shilling, and has a top or cover, with a hole in 

 the centre, about the size of a very small nut, in which are deposited the eggs or spawn. 

 This opening is frequently concealed by drawing small fragments over it, but this is not 

 always the case. Many times have I taken up the nest, and thrown the eggs to the 

 multitude around, which they instantly devoured with the greatest voracity. These eggs 

 are about the size of poppy seeds, and of a bright yellow color ; but I have at times seen 

 them almost black, which, I suppose, is an indication that they are approaching to 

 life. 



In making the nest, I observed that the fish used an unusual degree of force when 

 conveying the material to its destination. When the fish was about an inch from the 

 nest, it suddenly darted at the spot, and left the tiny fragment in its place, after which 



