52 
WONDERS OF THE TROPICAL FORESTS. 
of growing upon trees, and pass one- half of tlieir exist- 
ence iiader water, tho other in the saltry atmosphere of 
a tropical shore. 
The close-eyed Gudgeon or "Jumping Johnny," as he is 
more familiarly named by the sailorSj plays a conspicuous 
part in the animal world of the mangrove swamps, where 
the uncouth form of this strang-e amphibious fish may be 
seen jumping about in the mud lilvO a frog, or sliding 
awkwardly along on its belly with a glidin^^ motion. By 
means of its pectoral fins, it is even enabled to climb 
with great facility among the roots of the mangroves, 
where it finds a goodly han-est of minute crustaceans. 
It must, however, not be supposed that Johnny " has all 
the swamp to himself; for though he manages to swallow 
many a victim, he is not seldom doomed to become the 
prey of creatures more wily or stronger than himself. 
A large and powerful cmb of the Grapsns family may 
often be observed stealing, with an almost imperceptible 
motion, and in a cautious, sidelong manner, towards a 
gudgeon basking on the siiore, and, before the fish has 
time to plunge into the sea, the pinc«r of the crab secures 
it in a vice-like gripe, from which it is perfectly hopeless 
to escape. 
"Johnny" is a pugnacious little fellow, and rather 
prolonged fights may be observed between him and his 
brethren. At the mouth of the Zambesi, Dr. Livingstone 
saw one which, in lleeing from an apparent danger, 
jumped into a pool a foot square, which another evidently 
regarded as his by prior discovery. In a twinkling the 
owner, with eyes flashing fury, and with dorsal fin brist- 
ling up in a rage, dashed at the intruding foe. Tlie fight 
waxed furious. No tempest in a teapot ever equalled the 
storm of that miniature sea. The wan'iors were now in 
the water, and anon out of it, for the battle raged on sea 
and shore. They struck hard, tbey bit each other, until 
l>ecoming exhausted, they seized each other by the jaws 
like two bull-dogs. They paused for breath, and were at 
