270 



LIFE, IN ITS HIGHER FORMS. 



perceived that the young fry were in motion, used their 

 utmost endeavours continuously to pounce upon the nest 

 and snap them up. The courage of this little creature 

 was certainly now put to its severest test ; but, nothing 

 daunted, he drove them all off. seizing their fins, and 

 striking with all his strength at their heads and at their 

 eyes most furiously. All the assistance that could pos- 

 sibly be afforded him was of course rendered, short of 

 actual interference, by keeping them pretty well fed, in 

 order to allay, if possible, their voracity. Another cir- 

 cumstance, which appeared to add greatly to the excite- 

 ment that he was constantly subjected to, arose from a 

 second female fish, being in spawn, endeavouring most 

 pertinaciously to deposit her ova in the same locality, and 

 hence rushing frequently down towards the spot. But 

 the male fish was ever on the alert; and although he did 

 not strike at her in the furious way he attacked the larger 

 ones, yet he kept continually under her, with the formid- 

 able back-spines all raised erect, so that it was impossible 

 for her to effect her apparent object. 



" The care of the young brood, while encumbered with 

 the yelk, was very extraordinary ; and as this was gradu- 

 ally absorbed, and they gained strength, their attempts to 

 swim carried them to a greater distance from the parent 

 fish; his vigilance, however, seemed everywhere; and if 

 they rose by the action of their fins above a certain height 

 from the shingle bottom, or flitted beyond a certain dis- 

 tance from the nest, they were immediately seized in his 

 mouth, brought back, and gently puffed or jetted into 

 their place again. This was constantly occurring; the 

 other fishes being continually on the watch to devour the 



