Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/98

84 till the object was effected. While thus engaged it would suffer itself to be taken in the hand, but repelled any attack made on the nest, and quitted not its post so long as I remained; and to those nests that were left dry between tide marks, the guardian fish always returned with the returning tide, nor did they quit the post to any great distance till again carried away by the receding tide."

It is right to observe that Mr. Couch, who in his "Illustrations of Instinct," quotes both of the above papers, suspects that the nest, in the latter case, was that of the Shanny (Blennius pholis), and that the Sticklebacks watched it with a very different motive from parental affection. We do not, however, concur in this gentleman's conclusions.

The Gurnards have the head somewhat four-sided, more or less resembling the half of a pyramid divided vertically; hence the profile resembles that of the Surmullets. It is, as has been intimated, defended by long shields, those of the gill-cover and shoulder terminating in a spine or lancet. The body is lengthened, rounded above, with the belly flattened, tapering from the head backwards; clothed with small prickly scales, firmly embedded in the skin, very compactly arranged, and often accompanied by rows of spines placed along the lateral line. There are two dorsal fins, the first short but high, with spinous rays; the second long, with rays flexible at the tips. The pectorals are large, with strong