Instincts, Habits, and Adaptations 167 



gouramy {Osphromenus gonramy), in the Mauritius, forms a 

 nest amongst the herbage growing in the shallow water in the 

 sides of tanks. Here the parent continues to watch the place 

 with the greatest vigilance, driving away any interloping fish. 

 The amphibious walking-fish of Mysore (OpJiiocepJialus striatus) 

 appears to make a nest very similar to that of the gouramy, and 

 over it the male keeps guard ; but should he be killed or cap- 

 tured, the vacant post is filled by his partner. (Colonel Puckle.) 

 When very young the fishes keep with and are defended by 

 their parents, but so soon as they are sufliciently strong to 

 capture prey for themselves they are driven away to seek their 

 own subsistence. (See Fishes of India, p. 362.) But it is not 

 only these monogamous amphibious fishes which show an affec- 

 tion for their eggs and also for their fry, but even the little 

 Etroplus maculatus has been observed to be equally fond of its 

 ova. "The eggs are not very numerous and are deposited in 

 the mud at the bottom of the stream, and, when hatched, both 

 parents guard the young for many days, vigorously attacking 

 any large fish that passes near them." * 



Although the proceedings of the members of the marine and 

 estuary genus of sea-cat {Tachysitnis) and its allies show not quite 

 so distinctly signs of affection, still it must be a well-developed 

 instinct which induces the male to carry about the eggs in its 

 mouth until hatched, and to remove them in this manner when 

 danger is imminent. I have taken the ova just ready for the 

 young to come forth out of the mouth and fauces of the parent 

 (male) fish; and in every animal dissected there was no trace 

 of food in the intestinal tract. 



Calling the Fishes. — At many temples in India fishes are 

 called to receive food by means of ringing bells or musical 

 sounds. Carew, in Cornwall, is said to have called the gray 

 mullet together by making a noise like chopping with a cleaver. 

 Lacepede relates that some fishes, which had been kept in the 

 basins out of the Tuileries for more than a century, would come 

 when called by their names, and that in many parts of Ger- 

 many trout, carp, and tench are summoned to their food by 

 the sound of a bell. These instances are mostly due to the 



* Jerdon, " Madras Journal of Literature and Science," 1S49, P- i43- 



