A SKILLED CEMENT WORKER 
Mabel and Alice had been busy sketching the 
nests of various Nature’s craftsmen, and Uncle 
John had been called in for advice and criticism. 
“ Do you know,” he asked, as he settled himself 
for a chat afterwards, “ that there is a fish that 
constructs a nest not much different from those 
built by our feathered friends? It is the stickle¬ 
back, a creature about four inches in length. If 
we go to the lakes to camp this summer, we shall 
be very apt to meet him. 
“ I say him because, contrary to the usual fash¬ 
ion among our small neighbors, it is the male 
which builds the nest. More than this, it is he 
who stands guard at all hours and carefully at¬ 
tends to the wants of his offspring. The female 
stickleback is a fickle, empty-headed creature, 
too fond of a good time and society generally to 
care for family ties. It is with reluctance that 
she even enters the nest long enough to lay a few 
eggs. Indeed, there is a good deal of the cuckoo 
about the female sticklebacks. They may lay in 
one nest to-day and another to-morrow. Usu¬ 
ally several females deposit their eggs in one 
nest, and Father Stickleback is quite likely to 
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