RIVER GARDENS; 
beaten by sheer exhaustion, he is followed by the 
conqueror, who chases him till himself unable to 
pursue. Many such contests, however, terminate 
fatally in the early part of the onset, fatal wounds 
being at the first furious passes inflicted with the 
spines. These, however, I am happy to say, are the 
habits (as we are informed) of the male fish only, the 
females being quite pacific and never interfering in 
these sanguinary conflicts. 
They are indeed always without the gaudy and 
soldier-like uniform of the male, which in sum¬ 
mer is bright with glowing scarlet on the chest, 
while on the back shades of rich purple are often 
found, beautifully blending into green and white. 
In combat they appear to have the power of assum¬ 
ing their brilliant colours, as Indians do their war¬ 
paint, and during the contest the little scaly warrior 
is refulgent with scarlet, vivid green, and white. If 
conquered, however, his war-paint fades to the 
dullest hues, while the victor swims triumphant, 
and still splendid in his gaudy uniform. If fatally 
wounded, the defeated hero, in his latest agony, 
once more assumes his splendid colouring (but not 
so brightly), as though in his last delirium he 
fancied himself the conqueror. 
In this power of changing colour the Stickleback 
72 
