4414 Fishes. 



as to be scarcely able to leave the vessel, which was held in the hand. 

 The old fish, perceiving the helpless condition of its offspring, came 

 up to the surface of the water, and seizing hold of the exhausted 

 young one carried it off almost from amidst my fingers, and taking it 

 to some distance puffed it out of its mouth into a tuft of Conferva?. 

 This courageous act of our little fish would seem, in some measure, to 

 give credence to the assertion, so frequently made, that some of the 

 sharks protect their young by receiving them into the mouth on the 

 approach of danger. 



Other facts might be related evincing parental attachment; but 

 perhaps enough has been said to satisfy those who take an interest in 

 such matters that in this respect the three-spined stickleback is 

 scarcely, if at all, inferior to the hen, whose affectionate regard for 

 her offspring has ever been the theme of admiration. Incubation, 

 with the fish, is out of the question ; it attends its nest, however, as 

 diligently as any of the feathered tribes, keeping it in constant repair, 

 fanning it with its fins, and removing anything that might obstruct the 

 free action of the water upon the eggs ; it defends its young with the 

 same undaunted courage, and though it cannot gather them under 

 spreading wings as the hen gathers her brood, yet all those which 

 stray are brought back to the nest, that they may be under the pro- 

 tection of their ever-vigilant and courageous parent. 



The nest of the fifteen-spined stickleback (Gaslerosteus spinachia) 

 was first noticed by Mr. Jonathan Couch, on the Cornish coast, in 

 1842. Since then it has been observed two or three times on the 

 coast of Northumberland. It is composed of pendant sea-weeds 

 bound together, by a silk-like thread, into pear-shaped or fusiform 

 masses : the spawn is deposited in the centre of the mass. Mr. Couch 

 says, " One of these nests was visited every day for three weeks, and 

 the old fish was found invariably guarding it : it would examine the 

 nest on all sides, and then retire for a short time, but soon return to 

 renew the examination. On several occasions," continues this gentle- 

 man, " I laid the eggs bare by removing a portion of the nest, but 

 when this was discovered great exertions were instantly made to re- 

 cover them. By the mouth of the fish, the edges of the opening were 

 again drawn together, and the other portions torn from their attach- 

 ments and brought over the orifice till the ova were again hid from 

 view : and as great force was sometimes necessary to effect this, the 

 fish would thrust its snout into the nest, as far as the eyes, and then 

 jerk backwards till the object was effected. While thus engaged, it 

 would suffer itself to be taken in the hand, but repelled any attack 

 made on the nest, and quitted not its post so long as I remained." 



