New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25

ing the eggs she has deposited there, To- what
a change! After getting what he wanted he
has no further use for her and drives her away
from the nest, and then, like the bigamous
scamp he is, goes awooing again keeping this
uf until he has secured sufficient eggs to fill the
nest after which it is not safe for either male or
female to approach the nest for the tickle, vain
Mr.. Stickleback becomes most vigilant and
heroic parent, and viii gladly sacrifice even his
own life to preserve his little ones from harm
During the breeding season the male of the
Cantharus lneatus becomes of deep, leadeh
black. He then retires from the school and
excavates hollow as nest. AS soon as COM
pleted he mounts guard over it and vigorously
attacks and drives away any other fish of the
same SEX Toward his companions of the oppo-
site sex his conduct is far different; many of the
latter are now distended with spawn, and these
he endeavors by ali means in his power to lure
singly to his prepared hollow. and there TO de-
post the myriad with which they are
laden which he then protects and guards with
the greatest care.
The male of Labrus miXtus, which differs in
color from the female, makes "a deep hollow in
the sand of the tank. and then endeavors in the
most persuasive manner to induce female of
the same species TO share it with him. swimming
backward and forward between her and the
completed nest ana plainly eXnlDlllDS lne great
est anxiety for her TO follow"
Other fishes call TO their mates in the breed
ing season, and a peculiar feature of this is
that the male alone is thus gifted. There are
two species OF Ophidiup in which the males are
provided with a sound producing apparatus,
consisting of small movable bones, with proper
muscles, in connection with the swim bladder.
The drumming OF the Umbrnas in the European
seas is said to be audible from depth of TWEEN
~ fathoms a the fishermen of Rochelle.
France. assert that the males alone make the
noise in the breeding season. On our own coast
the drumming noise maze by the sea drum in
the breeding season is very noticeable, espe-
cialy night
A few fishes are poIygamous The stickleback
is typical example having as many as three
and four wives in q season. AS fast as one has
deposited her eggs in the beautiful little nest
he has prepared with such infinite care. she is
a. once driven away and ne looks around for
another. and until the nest is full of eggs.
The smooth blenny (Blennius pholis) is also
polygamst. When breeding the eggs are depOs-
tied in q selected spot first by one female and
then by another. In the mean while the male
has undergone wonderful color transformation.
All the gay mottlings of yellow and brown that
usually characterize the species have given way
to a uniform tint of deep. sooty black the large,
prominent lips alone remaining nearly white. his
appearance under such circumstances being par
ticularly ferocious and forbidding He is most
attentive lover frequently bringing food to his
lady love of the moment while on the nest, and
after the eggs have been deposited, guards them
with his life.
Polyandly is rare in the animal kingdom, but
the carp tench. Dream and mnnow appear to
follow the practice regularly, for the female
while spawning is always attended by two
Dream by three or four males. With the min
now on the spawning beds the males are ten
times rs numerous as the females; when a fe-
male comes among the males she is Immediately
pressed closely by a male each side. and as
fast her eggs eXtruded they are covered
with the uilt of the males. and when they have
been in that situation for a time are super
seeded by two other males. The Papelin (Mallotus
villosUs) has two husbands, who are provided
with a ridge OF closely set, brushlike scales by
the aid Of which males. one on each side
hold the female while she runs with great swift
ness on the sandy beach, and there deposits her
spawn.
In most species the males preponderate, as a
result OF which fights are of frequent occurrence
among the males Of the carnivorous species.
This is especially noticeable among the sal
mon which often battle so tiercely that both
meet their death. On the Pacific Coast they
come into the brackish waters and swim around
and play peaceably until they are almost ready
for spawning, when a madness seems TO seize
them and they begin their wild rush up the
tortuous, difficult rivers 10 the cold. clear pools
II the head. In this mad rush they pay no at
tention 10 anything. but struggle tercely OF up
the stream, the females 10 deposit their eggs,
the males to protect the females. From the
outset they neither eat nor rest, and as one fol-
lows them up the stream one soon sees the ef-
fects Of their battles. Their. flesh is knocked
Oft against stones. Here is TO be seen one striy-
ing desperately against his fellows, with nothing
LETT Of his once powerful tail but the bones and
many OF them are broken. while his great
hooked snout is down to mere stump.
The flesh may b. falling from his back or torn
from his belly. still he fights on until death. If
it is female, you may see the eggs drag ging
from an ugly cash in her side one fin is torn
off, two more are useless, every effort 10 prone!
herself leaves a trail Of blood; but. urged on
by the mother instinct, she struggles upward
with the rest. On arriving at The spawning
beds, the males battle more fercely than ever
After the law Of the survival Of the fttest has
given one undisputed possession Of a female
the two proceed to dig q hole in the sand and
gravel. after which the female swins over it
and deposits some eggs. which are a moment
after covered with %he males milt. The fe-
maze returns again ana again TO the hole, fol-
lowed each time by the male until all the eggs
have been eXtruded and fertilized And then
comes the saddest part of all The moment of
supreme triumph is the moment Of death, and
the gallant soldier in the lists of love together
with his no less heroic wife, pays the inevitable
penalty Of life OF the millions which fight their
way up the streams each season, hardly one
eVer returns TO its deep sea home.
The Atlantic male salmon is also very pug
nacious, two having been known to carry on q
LL.- .I,1l. 4 L. 1 L. IT,