THE MINNOW — THE STICKLEBACK. 341 



tailed three-spined stickleback," with bony plates along 

 his side, with green back and sides and white belly, some 

 of the males at certain seasons having the latter of a 

 brilliant crimson. 



The title Sticklebat, or Stickleback, is derived from the 

 old English word stickle, a " spine " or " prickle/' the 

 verb stick in the signification of " to pierce " being the 

 same word. In almost all languages the stickleback, 

 which is widely distributed over all Europe, gets his name 

 from his formidable "spines." Thus he is epinoche in 

 Erench, stachelfisch and stichlmg in German, and spi- 

 narola, with several other "prickly" appellations, in 

 different Italian provinces. Another name for our spiny 

 little friend was " banstickle," from ban, old English for 

 " bone," and stickle, " a prickle," as aforesaid. 



Our minikin, who is generally under two inches in 

 length, and never exceeds two and a half, is yet a fish 

 of mark. He is wondrously active, pugnacious, and 

 voracious. Bacher reports that " one will eat seventy 

 small fish about three lines long in less than an hour." 



The following is a lively sketch of the habits of 

 sticklebacks, from the Annals of Natural History : — 



" When a few are first turned into a tub, they swim about in a 

 shoal, apparently exploring their new habitation. 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 venture 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 

 witnessed a battle of this sort which lasted several minutes before 

 either would give way ; and when one does submit, imagination can 

 hardly conceive the vindictive fury of the conqueror, who, in the most 



