worse off than the "old woman who lived in a shoe." As a matter of fact,
the eggs are laid in the open sea; and the Cod shows no interest in
them, but leaves them to become food for many a roving enemy.

Those cousins of the Shark,--the Skate and the Dog-fish,--are more
careful of their eggs. Have you ever found their empty eggs on the sea
shore? Children call them "mermaids' purses." But they are more like
little horny pillow-cases than purses.

When first laid, the Dog-fish's egg has a very long string or _tendril_
at each corner. As the fish lays the egg, she winds these tendrils round
and round a sea-plant; thus the egg is fixed firmly until the young one
is ready to escape from within (_see_ p. 49).

The Skate's egg is much the same, only there is no tendril, but a curved
hook at each corner. These hooks, of course, serve as anchors to hold
the egg: no doubt they catch in weeds and stones. One fish, you see,
ties her eggs with strings, the other uses anchors. These large "purse
eggs" are like cradles, and the baby Skates do not slip out of them
until they are quite ready to look after themselves in the ocean.

There are fish in the sea which take great pains to save their eggs and
babies from harm; they will even defend them at the risk of their own
lives. Of course these careful parents do not have huge families, like
the Cod. No; the fish that care for their young have small families, but
the babies have a much better chance of living than the baby Cod. It is
one of Nature's wise laws.

Our common Stickleback--"Tiddler," or "Red-throat," as boys call
him--builds a nest in ponds. He has a seaside cousin, the fifteen-spined