THE LIVING WORLD. 
61 
for he is a confirmed polygamist. In this wise he secures, perhaps, a dozen 
wives, each of whom deposits her eggs in his nest, and are followed by him 
as in the manner de¬ 
scribed, until the nest 
has its compliment of 
fertilized eggs, which are 
now covered by his secre¬ 
tion, and then left for 
nature to hatch. 
The Toad Fish is 
a habitant of the Ameri¬ 
can coast, rarely exceed¬ 
ing a foot in length, and 
of most repugnant aspect. 
The name is given on 
account of the peculiar- 
shaped head, which is of 
a calloused, wrinkled ap¬ 
pearance, somewhat re¬ 
sembling a toad. The 
pectoral fins have a large, 
fan-like spread, and un¬ 
der the lower lip are 
.several wattles, which 
probably serve as sensi¬ 
tive organs of touch. 
Small as it is, the fish 
has very powerful jaws, 
and is tenacious of its 
hold on anything seized. 
Toad fish and ITS NEST {Batrachus grunniens). 
It is generally found lurking in oyster beds, where 
it makes its nest, and in the breed¬ 
ing season remains so constantly 
within the nest as to give rise to 
the impression that the eggs are 
incubated. Even after the young 
are hatched it remains for some 
time within the hole, and until its 
brood are strong enough to provide 
for themselves. This species are 
said to be poisonous. 
The Frog Fish belongs to the 
same species as above, but is con¬ 
siderably larger and its habits differ¬ 
ent. It is also called fishing frog , 
and angler. They occasionally grow 
to a length of two feet, but of this 
frog fish ( Lophius piscaiorius). length the head constitutes one-half 
and is phenomenally broad. It has 
a very singular habit of half burrowing in the mild and projecting very long 
