290 Wild Life in a Southern County 



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leap over a bay, and fall three or four feet on to the stony floor 

 below, the stones scarcely covered with water. The jack 

 shot himself perhaps two feet, and fell pn his side on the 

 stones ; there he lay quietly a minute or so, and then gave 

 a bound op, and, lighting in the current, went down with 

 it. A small jack like this will sometimes go out into the 

 irrigated meadows, following the water-carriers for a long 

 distance. 



In quiet, sheltered places, where the water is clear but 

 does not run too swiftly, the ' minnie,' as the stickleback 

 is locally called, makes its nest beside the bank. A small 

 hole in the sand is excavated, and in this are laid a number 

 of tiny fibres such as are carried along by the stream, 

 resembling a miniature faggot. On these fibres the ova 

 are deposited, and they are then either purposely partly 

 covered with sand by the minnie, or else the particles that 

 are brought down by the current gather over the bundle 

 of fibres and conceal it, excepting one small spot. There 

 several of the slender roots seem to slightly project, and 

 they are kept clear of mud or sand so as to answer the 

 purpose of a doorway. I have watched these operations 

 many times, but never saw the minnie attempt to enter 

 the nest ; indeed, he could not have done so, the opening 

 not being large enough. 



When the nest has reached this stage of completion it 

 is easy to discover, because the stickleback keeps watch 

 before it, and at that season his breast is of a bright 

 crimson hue. He guards the nest with the greatest care, 

 and if he is tempted away for a minute by some morsel of 

 food he is back again immediately. If a tiny twig or fibre 

 comes along and threatens to catch against the nest, he 

 removes it in his mouth, carrying it out into the stream 

 thtit it may be swept away. He also removes the sand 



