of the tishery Board for Scotland. 



173 



an attitude of watchfulness. If the hand was placed on the glass near the 

 eggs, he made a furious charge at it; with so much force, indeed, in the 

 early days of his long guard, that he obviously hurt his snout. 



This was repeated again and again, and day after day. If anyone 

 entered the tank-house and came within five or six yards of the tank, he 

 was observed by the alert little sentinel, who rose up and watched him. 

 When the attendant bared his arm and plunged it into the water to place 

 a flat stone behind the eggs (so that the actions of the fish might be better 

 observed as he rested upon it at a higher level), his arm was charged with 

 such fury that it was forcibly driven against the front of the tank. The 

 guarding male showed the courage, ferocity, and tenacity of a bulldog, 

 which, indeed, he somewhat resembled, with his ugly visage, heavy jaws, 

 and restlessly moving eyes, the whites of which were often exposed and 

 conspicuous against the dark colour of his cheeks. His capacity as 

 a defender of the eggs lay more in his power of butting than of biting, for 

 which his mouth is not well adapted. All attempts to drive him off were 

 futile. When a stick was pushed down into the water towards him he 

 shoved it away with his snout, or charged at it. 



During the two months that the eggs were under his care, the patient 

 and devoted parent never left them, except for a moment now and again 

 to pursue the other male. He could neither be driven away by menace 

 nor enticed away by guile. The most savoury mussels, which were 

 greedily swallowed by the other lumpsuckers, did not tempt him. On the 

 contrary, if one were allowed to sink near him or the precious eggs, he took 

 it in his mouth, swam rapidly towards the middle of the tank, and 

 promptly ejected it there, returning immediately to his post. Until 

 almost the close of his vigil he ate nothing. 



His conduct towards the other occupants of the tank was very interest- 

 ing. Occasionally a flounder would swim lazily and aimlessly round the 

 tank. The moment it approached the eggs, the lumpsucker turned 

 swiftly towards it, and, if necessary, headed it off. Now and then he 

 would make a sudden dash at the trespasser, who precipitately retreated. 

 The flounders soon came to understand the position, and avoided the 

 corner where the eggs were lying; they chose to occupy the other side of 

 the tank, preferring the company of the old lobster, though he was in the 

 habit of catching one of them by stealth occasionally and devouring it. 

 His quiet, sly, diplomatic ways, though really more dangerous, were less 

 alarming to them than the furious but harmless assaults of the lumpsucker. 



Of special interest was the conduct of the two males towards one 

 another. By rights, it may be supposed, and under ordinary circum- 

 stances, each mass of eggs would have been guarded by a male fish, and 

 probably fertilised by him alone. But owing to the two females having 

 laid their eggs in the same coiner — for whatever reason — a conjoined 

 guardianship was only possible if friendly feelings existed between the two 

 males. This was far from the case. The male which had obtained 

 possession of the eggs showed throughout the whole period the most 

 rancourous and persistent animosity to the unattached one. The latter, 

 on the other hand, displayed the greatest fear of his successsful rival. 



It may be supposed that in the night when the females were spawning, 

 or about to spawn, the two males engaged in a combat or contest for the 

 privilege of fertilising the eggs and guarding them. The one which was 

 worsted in the nuptial light never regained courage to attempt further 

 contest for his rights, but displayed a most craven spirit from first to last, 

 lurking in the darkest part of the tank as far from his rival as he could get. 



It was sometimes possible, but always difficult, to drive or push him in 

 the direction of the other male by means of a stick. He was more 



