Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20

tley attached themselves TO II by some
capillary attraction; and l found that
in this manner the fairy craft was
being built of air bubbles. A more dainty
object it would be difficult to imagine;
floating about, a mastless ship on or about
which the eggs of the paradise fish were
deposited, becoming attached to it in
some way. Here the young found shelter
when first Matched, making their first
meal, it is said, though l did not observe
it, from the foamy nest.
1t is most interesting to watch the
sunfishes of every fresh-water stream
form their nests in the parterres, halls
of green and gold made by the pond
lilies. One sunhsh which l kept in view
formed its nest, little depression, in the
sand, surrounded by weed. The fish
poised over the eggs nearly all the time,
darling at all possible enemies as yellow
perch or catfish, putting to flight fishes
several times its size, even attacking my
arm when thrust down among the weeds
Along the rocky shores of Santa
Catalina Island, California, there is a
floating forest of kelp, which is the home of
countless animals, among them several
nest-building fishes, one a huge sculpin-
u,
gaping mouth, colored within a brilliant
blue. This fish forms a nest among the
weed, selecting some rock as a central
point, and attaches its eggs in a great
bunch.
In the singular 1ump-fish the young
attach themselves to the parent by
their suckers at times, often following
them, calling to mind hen and chickens
In this California floating forest singular
creature called the walking-fsh is found
One observed by me weighed eight or
nine pounds. Its side fins resemble feet
when resting on the bottom. This fish
builds remarkable floating nest, wind
ing the seaweed up into ball and
attaching its eggs to it, the young later
finding protection there.
Another species of this singular fish
lives in the Sargasso Sea, where l have
found its curious nest. The latter is
about as large as a Dutch cheese, and
is formed of the living weed rolled to-
gether. In making it, the fish swi1ns
around it and literally binds the nest
into an oval or round shape by viscid
! elastic white cord which it takes from
a pore in the abdomen, the secretion
and resembling a white cord The
bands hold the nest firmly in shape, and
the pure-white eggs, resembling shot
in size, are attached to the leaves
One of the interesting nest-builders
Of the Pacific Coast is the rock-bass, a
fish that bears close resemblance to a
black-bass of American waters They
form their nests at Santa Catalina, along
the shores of Avalon Bay, in large
numbers, and may be seen poised over
them the nest being depression in
the sand, surrounded by weed.
Among the nest-builders of the float
ing forest previously referred to the
toad-fsh, or sculpin, is best-known. Its
nest is of weed in sheltered spot among
the rocks, where the fish takes on the
color of its surroundings SO finding pro-
lection. Here also is the nest of the
kelp-fsh, marvellous mimic that not
only possesses the exact color of the
weed, but resembles the leaves in shape,
posing among them, standing on its
head and waving to and fro in the cur
rent, SO mimicking the kelp that it is