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. ili, 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. 
Tue Law or Beauty.—We have just seen that a male fish 
