104 



These battles often end in death to one or both of the 

 combatants. That these battles are fierce, the deep 

 wounds left on the dead bodies of the slain will bear 

 witness. They have been kndwu to fight for two days, 

 and then both be killed. However, when they are once 

 mated the battles cease and the pair are hardly ever 

 seriously interfered with. Intruders in any quantity come 

 around, seemingly out of curiosity ; but, no matter what 

 their size, they leave as soon as the husband, for the time 

 being, darts at them. These intruders are, perhaps, 

 waiting for a chance to devour some of the stray eggs 

 which the female drops. The male and female being 

 paired, go to the chosen place. They lie side by gide to- 

 gether when not disturbed ; but the male is occupied most 

 of the time in driving off interlopers. It is very curious 

 to see a little male with a big female in charge. Usually 

 the little trout clears the way for the large one without 

 a show of resistance. In the ponds when the trout are 

 fed the largest get the meat while the little ones gei out 

 of the way, and swim to the further side of the pond, and 

 even if the meat is thrown where they are they will not 

 take it until they have waited to see whether it is not 

 the pleasure of the big fellows to claim it. At the spawn- 

 ing season all this is changed, they will attack a trout 

 three times their size if he comes within less than a res- 

 pectful distance of the female. Often while the male is 

 driving off one, another on the opposite side will make 

 tender advances; quick as a dart the proper husband 

 returns to chase the gay deceiver. In fact his time is 

 fully occupied with chasing off intruders. If they are too 

 numerous the female Avill dart from the nest over which 

 she hovers, to help her chosen mate. A nest is made in 

 the gravel by the female; It is simply a shallow hole 

 ^bput^ ei^f Pr eight inches in diameter and about two or 



