Chap. Vlll. Proportion of the Sexes. 249 



FISH., 



With Fish the proportional numbers of the sexes can be ascertained 

 only by oatchiag them in the adult or nearly adult state ; aud there 

 are many difficulties in arriving at any just conclusion."' Infertile 

 lOmales might readily be mistiiken for males, ms Dr. Giinther has 

 reinurkod to me in regard to trout. Witli some species the males are 

 believed to die soon after fertilising the ova. Witli many species the 

 males are of much smaller size than the females, so that a large 

 number of males would escape from the same net by which the females 

 were caught. M. Carbonnier,'" who has especially attended to the 

 natural histiry of the pike {E'ox lueUs), states that many males, owing 

 to their small size, are devoured by the larger females • and he believes 

 that the males of almost all fish are exposed from this same cause to 

 gi'eaier danger than the females. Nevertheless, in tlie few cases in 

 which the proportional numbers have been actually observed, the 

 males appear tu be largely in excess. Thus Mr. E. Buist, the superin- 

 tendent of the Stormoutfield experiments, says that in 1865, out of 70 

 &almun first landed for the purpose of obtaining the ova, upwards of 60 

 were males. In 1867 he again " calls attention to the vast disproportion 

 "' of the males to the females. We had at the outset at least ten males 

 " to one female." Afterwards females sufficient for obtaining ova weie 

 procured. He adds, " from the great proportion of the males, they are 

 "constantly fighting and tearing each other on the spawning-beds."" 

 This dispropoition, no doubt, can be accounted for in part, but whether 

 wholly is diiubtful, by the males ascending the rivers before the 

 females. Mr. F. Buckland remarks in regard to trout, tbat " it is a 

 " curious fact that the males preponderate very largely in number over 

 " the females. It invuriahly happens that when the first rush of flah is 

 " made to the net, tliere will be at least seven or ei^ht males to one 

 "female found captive. I cannot quite account for this; either the 

 •' males nr<* more numerous than the females, or the latter seek safety 

 " by concealment rather than flight." He then adds, that by caietuUy 

 searching the banks sufficient females for obtai ling ova can be fuund.'' 

 Mr. H. Lee informs me th.it out of 212 trout, taken for this purpose in 

 Lord I'ortsmouth's park, 150 were males and 62 females. 



'I'he males of the Oyprinidse likewise seem to be in excess ; but 

 aeveiul members of tlds Family, viz., the carp, tench, bream and 

 minnow, appear regularly to follow the practice, rare in the animal 

 kingdom, of polyandry ; for the female whilst spawning is always 

 attended by two males, one on each side, and in the case of the bream 

 by three or four males. This fact is so well known, that it is always 

 recommended to stock a pond with two male tenches to one female, or 

 at least with three males to two females. With the minnuw, an 

 esoellent observer states, that on the spawning-beds the males are ten 

 tiiues as numerous as the females ; when a female comes amongst the 



" Lenckart quotes Bloch (Wag- 18, 1869, p. 369. 



ner, ' Handworterbuch der I'hys.' "' ' The Stormontfield Piscicul- 



B. iv. 18.'j3, s. 77.=>), that with Hsh tural Experiments,' 1866, p. 2.'!. 



khere are twicd as many males as The * Field' newspaper, June 29th, 



females. 1867. 



" yuoted in the 'Farmer,' March " ' Land and Water.' 1868, p. 41 



