COURTSHIP AND MATING OF FISHES 157 



in his mind to do any serious work, for he continually left off 

 to go and give the other fellow an additional bit of a drubbing; 

 so that at five o'clock I took pity on the dejected little fish, 

 and removed him to another tank. (A description of the way 

 in which the victorious male built a nest here follows. See 

 vol. iii, p. 428.) He was by this time in glorious colour, 

 bright red all over the gills and along the ventral region, light 

 creamy pink or blue on the back, his eye a very sapphire for 

 brightness and purity of blue. Yet would not his mates be 

 coaxed to the nest. Dress as he might, and air his finery as 

 he would, they remained obdurate, insensate, and unmoved. 

 Then would he show his not unnatural pique and annoyance 

 by running at them from a distance and giving them most un- 

 gallant digs in the ribs. This is, however, it should be stated 

 in extenuation of his conduct, a recognized part of the mysteries 

 of stickleback courtship. I therefore removed the females, 

 placing them in a tank close by, so that the little gentleman 

 could show off his attire in one tank, while the ladies gazed at 

 him admiringly from the other, without danger of being pestered 

 by his too urgent attentions. After a time one of the females 

 put on her wedding finery, her sides becoming marked with 

 bands of deeper brown; and as she seemed anxious to join the 

 merry little monarch of the other tank, I transferred her thither. 

 He at once became much excited, and looked, if possible, rosier 

 and bluer-eyed than ever. He soon dashed off to the nest to 

 see that all was there in readiness, and passed through it, re- 

 maining inside half a minute or so. After having thus pre- 

 pared his nest for her reception he returned to the female, and 

 swam slowly round and round her, frequently passing in front 

 of her. The gay rogue! He knew that she could not resist 

 those rosy cheeks and that bright blue eye. Nevertheless he 

 found it his duty to dig her several times in the ribs, and was 

 clearly somewhat annoyed that she delayed so long to come to 

 his nest. Unfortunately I was then called away from my room, 

 so that I did not on this occasion see her pass through the nest 

 and lay her eggs there." For further particulars regarding the 

 home-life of this and other kinds of stickleback, the reader is 

 referred to the delightful book from which the above extract is 

 taken. 



THE LAW OF BEAUTY. We have just seen that a male fish 



