A NEST-BUILDING FISH. 



cbauge of food or chemistry of life must have gone ou during 

 this period to deposit on his coat so rich a change of colour, beating 

 all Elkingtou's electro-work, is, I opine, yet a mystery. 



You are now over the chosen spot where the fish has made up his 

 mind to squat or pitch his tent. Continue to remain quite still and he 

 ignores you, and resumes work according to the stage it has reached. 

 They begin to select a spot according to the warmth of the spring 

 weather, about April ; and by June one may be found settled in almost 

 every square yard along the shallows. 



You will first notice that he does not roam at large, but moves 

 about in a radius only of four or five feet. If in the early stage, he 

 will be constantly returning with a piece of water-weed, an inch or so 

 long, in his mouth, like a bird with material to its nest, until the nest 

 is formed. When finished, it is about the size of half a walnut, only 

 much less convex, and is disguised by the water-weed and particles of 

 the soil placed about it. If the bottom of the pool is small gravel, ash, 

 or such like, he places the same material about to hide it, or if of the 

 nature of sand or mud, he sucks some of these up in his mouth and 

 puffs them out, like a smoker, about the surface of the nest with the 

 same purpose, and perhaps to weight down the lighter materials. 



Having placed something ou the bank to indicate his whereabout, 

 you may always be sure to find him there at work for a few weeks 

 until he has reared to maturity the entire brood. I indicate the spot 

 with two stones, or bits of tile, as marks, treading one into the path 

 the same distance from the edge of the water that the nest is in the 

 water, and another further off in a right line with it. The starting of 

 the process goes on all through April, May, June, and I have seen it in 

 July, so that by land-marking opposite several nests you may see 

 all the several stages, of a dozen if you like, going ou at the same 

 time. 



If the nest is finished and charged with eggs, you may readily find 

 it on the bottom of the pool by noticing a small hole about the size of 

 a pea, with the lines of the weed-structure all leading to a centre, 

 giving it the appearance of a small sphincter, pursed up like a mouth 

 in a pucker, and that he is frec^uently poised over this opening inclined 

 head downwards in the attitude of a good diver just entering the 

 water, vibrating his fins to move the water towards and into the nest. 

 This action may also be seen, with a bull's-eye lantern, going on at 

 night. 



Each fish has his own home and family, and protects thein against 

 all the world — that is to say, his fish world. This can be shown by 

 catching one and marking him with a small loop of bright-coloured 

 floss silk as a signal, which you draw just " taut " — not tight — over 

 the narrow part of the body, leaving a small pennon to trail out about 

 a quarter of an inch or so beyond his tail, by which to identify him, 

 and then carrying him in a vessel some fifty yards away to another 

 part of the pool, when in a short time, according to the distance, you 

 will find him, like a homer pigeon, returned to his nest, having been 



