3640 Water-snail and Stickleback in Confinement. 



spawn, and the operations of fanning out the light particles, the 

 improving their order, the dibbing in the ends, the loading them with 

 additional sand, and the consolidation of them as described fully ef- 

 fected, and the whole reviewed carefully for several days in succession, 

 as it were awaiting the coming of the female, on her appearance the 

 following curious scene ensued. The female fish came out of her hid- 

 ing-place, her attention being fixed apparently on the nest, when im- 

 mediately the male became as it were mad with delight ; he darted 

 round her in every direction, then to his accumulated materials, slightly 

 adjusted them, fanned them, and then back again in an instant; this was 

 repeated several times ; as she did not advance to the nest, he endea- 

 voured to push her in that direction with his snout ; this not succeed- 

 ing, he took her by the tail and by the side spine, and tried to pull her 

 to the spot, then back to the nest, and having examined the two small 

 openings alluded to, he thrust his nose in at the lower and gradually 

 drew himself under the whole of the materials, making his exit at the 

 opposite one, as though to prove to her that everything was prepared 

 for her spawning. These manoeuvres, however, failed in their pur- 

 pose ; she examined the nest several times, but the appearance of the 

 minnows, &c, moving about on the other side of the glass partition 

 against which the nest had been formed, T believe, deterred her from 

 depositing her eggs there, and she afterwards spawned elsewhere. The 

 nest which had cost so much trouble was ultimately abandoned and 

 neglected, and was gradually dispersed by the snails. 



There are several other interesting particulars regarding the habits 

 of the several fish, &c, which I have had the opportunity of experi- 

 menting with, and which may form the subject of some future memo- 

 randa. I would merely remark in conclusion, that I have, after many 

 difficulties and failures, succeeded in keeping sea-water perfectly clear 

 for upwards of six months, and that I have for the last five weeks had 

 several sea-anemonies living in it, which at present appear extremely 

 healthy, and the water has not been disturbed for the last fourteen 

 days. My great difficulty, in the midst of London, has been to obtain 

 materials to work with. 



Robert Warington. 



Apothecaries' Hall, September 10, 1852. 



