THE GnjENARD &EOIIP. 165 



Dutch, and its various Italian aliases — spinarola, scar- 

 dofisso, scoppali, scardapesce, scaunarolo, all point to 

 the spines with which the bodies of these little fish are 

 beset; the only difference between the scientific and 

 more common names being, that the first calls the bear- 

 ers of these prickles stickle-backs, and the last stickle- 

 beUies; probably these names include, like our own, 

 many distinct species, for it is a numerous little group. 

 The following lively sketch of the proceedings of stickle- 

 backs (from the Annals of Natural History) show that 

 Mr. Pickwick's labours and assiduity to ascertain as 

 much as he could respecting their habits, were not mis- 

 directed. ' When a few are first turned in they swim 

 about in a shoal, apparently exploring their new habita- 

 tion. Suddenly one will take possession of a particular 

 corner of the tub, or, as will sometimes happen, of the 

 bottom, and instantly attack his companions.* If any 

 of them ventures to oppose his sway, a regular and most 

 furious battle ensues ; the two combatants swim round 

 and round each other with the greatest rapidity, biting 

 and endeavouring to pierce each other with their spines, 

 which on these occasions are projected. I have wit- 

 nessed a battle of this sort which lasted several minutes 

 before either would give way ; and when one does sub- 

 mit, imagination can hardly conceive the vindictive fury 

 of the conqueror, who, in the most persevering and un- 

 relenting manner, chases his rival from one part of the 

 tub to another, until fairly exhausted with fatigue.f 

 They also use their spines with such fatal effect that, in- 



* It is a very voracious little creature : Baclier reports that 

 one will eat seventy small fisli about three lines long in less than 

 an hour, and as they are dangerous to large fish, they ought to 

 have a vivarium to themselves. 



t The heart of these pigmy heroes is a small triangular cor- 

 puscle, no bigger than a hempseed ; — ' tantaene irse,' etc. 



