The Zoologist — September, 1873. 3669 



years afterwards that Mr. Warington, going over the same ground, 

 observed the same facts, and recorded in the 'Zoologist' (Zool. 

 3635) the wonderful results. In the course of his corarauuicalion 

 Mr, Warington incidentally observes, "Mr.Edwards, of Shoreditch, 

 whose London garden-pond has aflforded much interesting matter 

 to many microscopists, informs me, in a note dated August 27, 1852, 

 that it is fourteen years since he first noticed the fact of the stickle- 

 back building a nest, guarding and defending the young ones." 

 Mr. Gratton, Mr. Bowerbank, and I, as well as microscopists out of 

 number, were in the habit of visiting Mr. Edwards, and took great 

 interest in his aquarian researches. 



I should, however, here record that Mr. Edwards's first aquarium 

 was, as Mr. Warington has described it, a " London garden-pond"; 

 in fact, it was a stuccoed basin through which a small stream of 

 New River water was constantly flowing. This plan, perfectly 

 successful as regards the health and vigour of his captives, was soon 

 supplemented by the glass jar, so much more convenient for patient, 

 continuous and accurate investigation. Mr. Edwards was a watch- 

 maker, and his sticklebacks were kept in a delightful little parlour 

 behind the shop. It was not until some years later that Mr. Gratton 

 set up a similar stickleback observatory at 87, Shoreditch ; and 

 the late respected Matthew Marshall another, at his official 

 residence in the Bank of England, so that I enjoyed abundant 

 opportunities of watching the proceedings of these " wonderful 

 fishes." 



I mention Mr. Edwards as the first scientific man who observed 

 the nesting of sticklebacks. I say "scientific," because I am aware 

 that from time immemorial the boys hunting " stitlers," and 

 bringing them home in a quadrate pickle-bottle suspended from a 

 stick, were perfectly cognizant of a fact which seemed to have been 

 unknown to naturalists : from them I had learned, long, long before, 

 that there were "cock stitlers" and "hen stitlers," and that the 

 former were also called " redbreasts," and were famous for their 

 fighting propensities: often as i watched the exhibition of these 

 propensities in the aquariums of Mr. Edwards, Mr. Gratton and 

 Mr. Marshall, and often as my fingers itched to write an account 

 of them, I always forbore, for the discovery was the property of these 

 gentlemen, and not mine; and to them, and not to me, of right 

 belonged the honour and glory that must result from making the 

 revelation. Alas ! these excellent men have passed away, and 



SECOND SEEIES — VOL. VIII. 2 U 



