A RARE COURTIER 119 



on the little known theme of courtship and wooing 

 among fishes, a class of animals who are regarded as 

 proverbially cold-blooded and impassive. An interesting 

 account of the courtship and pairing of the European 

 dragonet {Callioiiynms iyra) has been published by 

 Mr E. W. L. Holt, in the Proceedings of the Zoologi- 

 cal Society for 1898, along with a fine coloured plate 

 of the male in the attitude of entreaty. Mr Holt's 

 observations, which amplify and correct those of 

 previous observers, show that the males do actually 

 display their charms before the female with great 

 emotion, and that the female can, if she likes, m^ke a 

 deliberate choice from among her rival suitors. The 

 living male of Callionynms lineolattts, to be found off 

 the Madras coast, is one of the most beautiful fishes 

 that I have ever seen. Its head and body are an inde- 

 scribable mingled harmony of many shades of brown 

 and blue and green, set off with light blue spots and 

 pearl-coloured stripes ; the anterior dorsal fin, which 

 can be erected like a high sail, is golden - yellow, 

 studded with many white-edged blue ocelli ; the tail 

 fin is a blend of brown and yellow, set with turquoise 

 spots ; the belly fin is like dark-blue velvet sown with 

 rows of turquoise ; the pelvic fins are like golden-green 

 satin, fringed with dark blue, and spangled with small 

 turquoise spots ; and the pectoral fins are of a 

 delicate lavender-grey, with serried dark-brown spots. 

 The female is but a dishclout in respect of him. 



