THE _MENTAL LIFE OF
.
-
357
;'
or, by means of suCcessivepushes With_his head, f0rces it
into the interior.
It is by turning and pressing the wall
all sides that he succeeds in rounding it nicely.”
'
He continues in this way until hehas formed a regular
umbrella or muShroom—like cover on the top of the…water.
Then like the Stickleback he
female in some
way, that it is now her turn to play
If she is_-un—ï
’
’
ready or unwilling, he may pursue in a Vicious manner,
biting her ns and eyes and even killing her. But if she
submits to his embraces,
round each
'
other and the male presses
ofthe female. " The
eggs are then fertilised as they
up to the,
surface.
Needlessto say, the male has -_-idUced the'female
to come under the=umbr€lla andthe eggs thus oat up into
the bubble-nest prepared f0r them. In one forrh,(B_etta)
the eggs are said to be heavierthan water and sink; to the;
'
bottom, but the male follows after,— takes them one -by one
in his mouth and blows them
The eggs are now
,
safe under.
Whether the rays of the—sunwould
shelter is uncertain, but the nest
that
,
snails cannot get at the ;eggswithoüt’soihe d1iculty,and
before they do any damage the
}
1
_,
them and driven them :away. But if thenest getsbr0ken
any way, the snailgèts‘.
]
,
”
young.
The male continues on—fg‘uar‘d untll the young batch -
Out; repairing holes, blowin‘gneW.
picking
.
_
any eggs, which grow
out and blowing
shelter—'“aS—It
Î
'
Insome Cases he may
When
the
‘
—helpless =fry hatchout, and he regulay-en‘çlOses' them m th‘Î
nest by blowing:up bubblesunderneath
,
;
These shes take ,kindlÿ'-td
:Ï
nests form one ‘of
;;
any end
’
been much _debated. Buttheproceedmgs
When the young
_
quite negative the
"°f°' IS
-