Fishes. 797 



dry, they are always carefully watched by the adult animal. On one 

 occasion I repeatedly visited one every day for three weeks, and in- 

 variably found it guarded. The old fish would examine it on all 

 sides, and then retire for a short time ; but soon return to renew the 

 examination. On several occasions I laid the eggs bare, by removing 

 a portion of the nest, but when this was discovered, great exertions 

 were instantly made to recover them. By the mouth of the fish the 

 edges of the opening were again drawn together, and other portions 

 torn from their attachments, and brought over the orifice till the ova 

 were again hid from view. And as great force was sometimes neces- 

 sary to effect this, the fish would force 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 re- 

 pelled any attack made on the nest, and quitted not its post so long 

 as I remained. And to those nests that were left dry between tide- 

 marks, the guarding fish always returned with the returning tide, nor 

 did they quit the post to any great distance till again carried away by 

 receding tide. 



The next nest with which my rambles have brought me acquainted, 

 is of a different character, showing considerably less skill in the fa- 

 brication, but more perseverance and continued energy. In the last- 

 mentioned case, the nest was formed indiscriminately of various kinds 

 of sea-weed, or the common coralline, whichever happened to grow 

 on the spot selected. In the present case it is invariably formed of 

 the common coralline put together without skill or arrangement. 



This nest is to be found about low-water-mark, on rocky ground. 

 It is formed of large quantities of the common coralline, forced into 

 some cavity or crevice of a rock; and is maintained there by no other 

 bond than that of compression. And as the coralline of which it is 

 composed is sometimes not to be found within one or two hundred 

 feet, it must be gradually gathered and brought from a distance, and 

 as the quantity is large, it shows an intelligence and perseverance 

 truly remarkable. But perhaps the most extraordinary part of it is 

 to conceive how the materials can be so closely compacted by the 

 force of any fish. The ova are small, being about the fifteenth of an 

 inch in diameter, and of a semi-transparent yellow colour. They are 

 not contained in a cavity like those of the stickleback, but are depo- 

 sited irregularly throughout the mass, sometimes in clumps, and at 

 others placed irregularly on the coralline. From the compact cha- 

 racter of the nest, and the ova being found in all parts of its structure, 

 it is evident that the eggs must be deposited while the nest is in pro- 



