236 Fish Stories 



photographer, who was obliged to make the picture under 

 cover and through glass and water, no attempt being made 

 to take the fish. All his efforts were devoted to getting the 

 nest itself in focus, which was accomplished, the white 

 bands showing distinctly, running in every direction. 



A few days later the lady fish began to construct another 

 nest. This time she selected a shapely bunch of red and 

 yellow weed which, attached to a stone, grew gracefully 

 upward and spread out into a fan shape. The male was 

 still more attractive in his nuptial garb, the colors blazing 

 and scintillating in the light. He appeared to be aroused 

 to a high state of excitement, and started up as I approached, 

 making every effort to intimidate me. The female passed 

 around and around the bunch of weed, winding her pseudo- 

 silken cord into an elaborate egg-shape, the male hovering 

 over her, vigilant, aggressively defiant. 



Ordinarily the fish is timid, but when I reached down to 

 lift the nest this faithful swain dashed at me with every 

 evidence of fury, trying to bite me with his small mouth, nor 

 could I push him away, the devoted creature repeating the 

 attack, forcing himself between hand and nest and express- 

 ing so much devotion that I surrendered and withdrew my 

 hand, when he stationed himself head to the glass, watching 

 me angrily as long as I was in sight. 



All the time the female paid no attention to me, and like 

 most of her kind, seemed utterly to lack maternal affection, 

 not possessing it even in the remotest degree ; but what she 

 lacked, her lover made up for ; a gallant indeed, with sword 

 always drawn, he was not only ready, but eager for the 

 affray. He stood not on the order of going, but charged 

 every living thing in sight, and to try him I placed in the 

 tank a fish four times his size. He dashed at it like a flash, 

 bowled the astonished giant over, and so intimidated it that 

 I took it out and left the fishes to their honeymoon, unpro- 

 voked and undisturbed. 



