288 MR. E. W. L. HOLT ON THE [-^-pr. 19, 



those of the side approach the deep lustre of a sapphire. I think 

 that the drawing (Plate XXVI.) gives a faithful representation of the 

 colours in their most intense development. These manifestations 

 occupy but a very short time. The whole mouth-apparatus being 

 engaged, it follows that the attitude cannot be maintained beyond 

 the interval of a single respiration. As a rule the mouth is partly 

 retracted and the Uns lowered for a time at the end of the 

 respiratory period, but sometimes respiration takes place without 

 the lowering of the fins. 



The male fish appears to make its advances in rather a pro- 

 miscuous manner. Although the Dragon et is keen-sighted and 

 apparently depends chiefly on its eyesight for obtaining food, the 

 male does* not seem to be able to see or find the female unless she 

 is quite near him. He darts about, as it appears to me, frequently 

 without any particular object. If other .Dragonets, females or 

 young males, are near, he darts at them, driving them off in 

 precipitate flight. My observations lead me to the belief that the 

 courting male cannot distinguish either between females and 

 young males, or between ripe and unripe females except by their 

 response to his advances. Occasionally the two males meet in 

 full splendour. Then one lowers his colours and flies ingloriously ; 

 but I have seldom seen anything in the shape of a fight, and have 

 never found wounds that might have been inflicted when I was 

 not watching. 



Quite often the male makes a dart when no other fish at all is 

 near, or rushes among the mullet, who are by no means interested 

 in his demonstrations. It may be supposed that on these occasions 

 he is merely advertising his whereabouts to any female that may 

 see him, since he is a conspicuous object, while she is not. When 

 not moving about, the male elevates his head by means of the 

 pelvic fins and moves his eyes in all possible directions, and does not 

 fully retract the protrusible jaw-apparatus until active operations 

 are suspended. 



Of the females present in the tank only one, which proved to 

 measure 17-15 em. (6| inches), was on this occasion in breeding 

 order. She makes no demonstrations of a very marked nature, 

 now resting poised on her pelvic fins, now swimming from one 

 part of the tank to another. Her dorsal fins are not raised, and 

 indeed they would not make her much more conspicuous. Now 

 and then a male a])proaches her and evidently recognizes, perhaps 

 only from her response to his advance, her sex and condition. He 

 proceeds to glide past or circle in front of her, sometimes resting 

 still in front of her with all his bravery displayed. If the two 

 males both approach her at the same time, one is soon put to 

 flight, as we have seen, by what usually appears to be simply a 

 battle of millinery. But, as we shall see later, I have particularly 

 noticed that the spoils are not always to the victor. 



Acceptance is denoted by the female swimming to the side of 

 the male, who, as a rule, instantly lowers his fins and retracts his 

 jaws and gill-covers. The two then swim slowly side by side 



