268 



LIFE, IN ITS HIGHER FORilS. 



In the month of May the male Stickleback, which is 

 then adorned with the most brilliant tints — his nuptial 

 dress — begins to make a nest. For this purpose he selects 

 small woody fibres, rootlets, &c, which he collects one by 

 one; and, carrying them to the selected place, inserts 

 them into the ground, and skilfully interweaves them, so 

 as to form a ring. Now and then he collects minute bits 

 of gravel, and brings mouthfuls of sand, all of which he 

 lays upon the fibres to keep them steady. Thus a thick 

 ring of interlaced materials is at length made, with a hole 

 in each of the two opposite sides, through which the fish 

 can squeeze himself. During the whole time the little 

 creature resents the least intrusion on his operations, at- 

 tacking his fellow fishes with the utmost fury, and driving 

 them to a distance. The house being ready, the lady is 

 invited to take possession; and the following curious 

 scene ensues : — 



" The female fish came out of her hiding-place, her 

 attention being fixed apparently on the nest ; when imme- 

 diately the male became, as it were, mad with delight. 

 He darted round her in every direction, then to his accu- 

 mulated 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 

 endeavoured to push her in that direction with his snout : 

 this not succeeding, 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 gradu- 

 ally drew himself under the whole of the materials, making 



