LOACH. 



427 



ABDOMINAL 



MALACOPTERYG1I. CYP1UX1DX. 



THE LOACH, LOCHE, OR BEARDIE. 



Cobitis liarliiitula, LINN/EUS. BI.OCH, pt. i. pi. 31, fig. 3. 



,, Loche, PKNN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 379. 



,, ,, Bearded Lnche, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 22. 



,, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 189, sp. 69. 

 JENYNS, Brit. Vert. p. 416. 



COBITIS. Generic Characters. Head small ; body elongated, covered with 

 minute scales, invested with a thick mucous secretion ; the ventral fins placed 

 far back, in a line under a small dorsal fin; mouth small, without teeth ; 

 upper lip furnished with six barbules, four of them in front, and one at each 

 coiner ; gill-openings small ; branchiostegous rays 3. 



THE LOACH is not uncommon in our rivers and brooks ; 

 but its habits of lurking under stones often prevents its 

 being observed. Dr. George Johnston finds it in the Tweed 

 and in the burns of Berwickshire ; Mr. Neill says it is also 

 frequent in the Waters of Leith, and other rivers of Scotland 

 in general ; and Dr. Rutty includes it in his Essay towards 

 a Natural History of the County of Dublin. The Loach 

 delights in small, shallow, clear streams, and swims rapidly 

 when disturbed by moving the stone under which it secretes 

 itself. As they are difficult to catch from their slimy 

 smoothness and activity, country boys are in the habit of 



