30 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
The sticklebacks now come under notice; they are pugna¬ 
cious little fish, having a great propensity for fighting, 
especially during the breeding season. During last breeding 
season a number of these fish were put with the jack, and 
although earlier in the year the jack had eaten them and 
chased them with impunity, yet now they turned upon him 
and the males attacked him with great ferocity, using their 
side spines with great effect, and in the space of three 
days had almost killed the jack, so that I was obliged to 
catch and take them out, otherwise I am certain that in 
another twenty-four hours they would have settled him. The 
sticklebacks were now put into a globe by themselves, and 
here they took up separate stations and fought each other 
with their wonted fury. I then introduced a female stickle¬ 
back distended with spawn; they did not attack her, but kept 
rubbing against her, in all probability to make her deposit 
her spawn. 
Some large barbel are kept in the tank with the jack, and 
also a large Prussian carp ; these fish are too large for the 
jack to interfere with. The barbel are shy and retiring in 
their habits, and in searching for food would turn up the sand, 
&c., at the bottom of the tank. The carp is so tame that he 
will rise to the top of the water to allow his back to be stroked, 
and will take food from the hand. A. F. Gates. 
THE BIRDS OF HIGHGATE WOODS. 
Highgate, although scarcely five miles from the great 
metropolis, is one of the prettiest and most rural parts in the 
north of London. It is thickly wooded with oak, elm and 
beech trees, the four principal woods being Bishop’s Wood, 
held by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ; Kenwood, which 
is on the estate of Earl Mansfield ; Gravelpit Wood, belong¬ 
ing to the London County Council; and another wood which 
is the property of a farmer. All these woods are inhabited 
by a great number of birds, but the greater part of them 
consist of the smaller species, such as the tit family ; of this 
we possess all the British species with the exception of the 
bearded tit (P. biannicus) and the crested tit (P. cristatus). 
The long-tailed tit [Pams caudatus ) may be said to be a 
common bird with us. 
There is, perhaps, not a better place around all London for 
nightingales ( Philomela luscinia). Bishop’s Wood possessed 
five pairs this year, and there were several in the other 
woods. Three or four nightjars ( Capvimulgus euvopceus) have 
