322 WHITMAN AND EYCLESHYMER. [ViOr.w cn: 
sant with the above facts I shall be very glad; if not, shall feel 
chagrined for not making them known long ago.’ ” 
The author of this amusing story is evidently quite blind to 
the part played by hisfancy. The fish has no such strange habit, 
and the wonder is that any sane mind could have invented such 
a prodigious fabrication without realizing that the whole thing 
was a myth. The facts from which the story was concocted 
are: (1) The fish sometimes opens its mouth on approach (as 
if threatening an attack); (2) the young suddenly disappear (in 
the mud and weeds of the bottom); (3) the old fish darts off 
and is quickly lost sight of ; (4) the old and young are found a 
little later at a short distance from the place where they were 
first seen. 
The young fish disappear so quickly that the observer fails 
to see where they go; the reappearance of the brood in com- 
pany with the parent is taken as proof that he took them with 
him, and the open mouth as proof that they were swallowed. 
2. Behavior during Spawning. 
Although the early cleavage stages of Amia have been 
repeatedly collected, it was not until May 12, 1895, that the 
behavior of the fishes immediately preceding and during spawn- 
ing was witnessed. The observation leaves certain points in 
doubt, but fills some of the gaps in the records hitherto made. 
Starting at daybreak on the morning of May 12th, we soon 
arrived at the “bogs.” After taking a number of broods of 
larvae, we were slowly passing through a narrow channel which 
in its deepest portion did not exceed 60cm. This channel was 
filled with dead grass from the preceding year, while the growth 
of the present season was barely visible above the surface of 
the water. On one bank the green grass grew in profusion, 
on the other the dead rushes formed a thicket. While resting 
for afew moments a disturbance of the water not more than 
3m. distant attracted our attention; stepping to the bow of 
the boat we saw four large Amiae lying ina nest. Seeing us 
they left the nest and disappeared in the surrounding grass. 
Soon three of them returned, but after a few brisk movements 
