The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14

State biologist Blatchey is close stu
dent of nature and Is something of ro-
mancer. He has written a book called
Natures Wooing," and another entitled
"Gleanings from Nature" In the latter he
very interestingly describes what might be
called fish romance" Jacob p. Dunn
was fishing in one of the northern Indiana
streams and while SEEMING for minnows one
day hauled up a strangely colored fish. He
carried it back to Indianapolis, having
never seen one like it, and took it over to
the biologists office "Why that's rain
bow darter," remarked the geologist at
glance. land it's very handsome, speci-
men, too" In his ''Gleanings from Nature"
the geologist tells a pretty little story
about the rainbow darter" 1t is in line
with the ideas of the poet who spoke of the
spring, when the young mans fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love" Allud-
ing to the rainbow darter," the geologist
relates that during eight months of the
year the males and females dress alike in
a suit Of brownish olive, which is striped on
the sides with ten or twelve narrow, black
cross bars. and more or less blotched on
the back with darker spots. But on the
first warm days of spring, when the breezes
blow up from the gulf, awakening the
gypsy in our blood. the little male fish
feels, too, their influences and in him there
arises an irresistible desire to accounting
CO. Like most other beings of his sex,
he thinks his every day suit too plain for
the important business before him. 1t will.
In his opinion, ne'er catch the eye of his
lady love. So he dons one of gaudy colors
and from it takes his name-the rainbow
darter-for in il he is best known, as it
not only attracts the attention of his
chosen one but often also that of the
wandering naturalist who happens along
the stream. The blackish bars of other
seasons are changed to indigo blue, while
the space between them assumes a hue of
the brightest orange The fins are broadly
edged with blue and have the bases orange,
or orange and scarlet, while the cheeks
assumes the blue and the breast becomes
an orange. Clad in this suit he ventures
forth on his mission, and is successful, as
he almost always is, the two construct
nest of tiny stones, in which the eggs of
the mother fish are laid and watched over
with jealous care by both parents until
in time there issues forth sons destined
some day to wear a coat of many eolors
coats as was their mother by the one their
father wore"
Inspector McAbee, the valuable and
watchful State officer who sees to it that
children are not put to work under the age
of fourteen is having hard time of 1T these
days. School is just out and some of the
parents of small boys and girls want to
put them at some light employment They
work all sorts of schemes, some of them,
to deceive the inspector. Just now the Of
fcer is trying to figure out a case where a
mother made oath that her daughter was
fourteen. The inspector was suspicious
and went to the school record. There he
found, according to the records, that the
child is only a few months over twelve
years of age. In order to be the in
spector will go to the Office of the city
Board of Health and examine the birth re-
turns. If he finds the record of the child's
birth does not show her to be fourteen he
will probably send the mother for an in
terview with the county prosecutor. Re-
Gently the inspector had a lively time of
it with an imperious and pretty little crea-
ture of twelve who insisted that she want
ed to be a cash girl in of the big de-
partment stores. The tot was determined
to apply for job although her father ex-
planned to her that she was too young. She
declined TO be put off in this way. In order
to convince her she was brought down
TO the department of inspection. When the
inspector assured her that she could not