FISH AND THEIR NESTS 
39 
with a very hardy constitution, for not only 
will it thrive and breed in very confined quarters, 
but, according to a well-known authority, it 
will “live in water strongly impregnated with 
acid.” 
The Siamese fighting-fish is another species 
that indulges in the practice of making a nest 
of bubbles. 
Found in Tropical and Southern America 
is a group of fish known as mailed cat-fish. 
They build nests, composed of grass and 
leaves, that are frequently placed above water 
within a muddy hole or depression in the soil 
situated at the edge of a pond or stream. 
Within this structure the eggs are laid, and 
when the young ones hatch out they make 
their way overland to the water, thus follow¬ 
ing the example set by their parents who, 
during the dry season when the waters of 
their habitat run low, make a practice of 
undertaking terrestrial journeys in order to 
reach fresh quarters that are more to their 
liking. 
Although not actually nest builders, another 
member of the cat-fish family, known as Arius, 
is worthy of special mention inasmuch as the 
male carries the eggs laid by the female in 
his mouth, where they remain until the young 
ones hatch out. 
