270 
LIFE, IN ITS HIGHER FORMS. 
perceived that the young fry wore in motion, used their 
utmost endeavours continuously fo 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 reudered, 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 malo fish was ever on the alert; and although he did 
not strike at her in tho 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 w T ith 
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 tho shingle bottom, or flitted beyond a certain dis- 
tance from the nest, they were immediately soized 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 
