GEN. COBITIS. THE SPINED LOACH. 85 



contiguous to the estates of the wealthy. Thus 

 Linnaeus, in his FAUNA SUESICCA, mentions that 

 Frederick I., king of Sweden, had them brought 

 from Germany and naturalized in his own coun- 

 try. 



(Sp. 116.) C. tcema^ Linn., Bloch, Cuv. ; Botia 

 tosnia, Gray, Yarrell. The spined Loach or Ground- 

 ling. It will be perceived that Mr. Yarrell, whose 

 able arrangement we wish generally to follow, has 

 adopted Mr. Gray's suggestion of separating the 

 Loaches with suborbital spines from those which 

 are destitute of these singular appendages. To this 

 we in the mean time demur, fearing we should 

 otherwise have to retrace our steps; and this on 

 the ground that Mr. M'Lelland, who, in the native 

 haunts of the family, has assiduously been studying 

 and most successfully arranging it, rejects the pro- 

 posal, and has resorted to another classification, 

 which, in all probability, will ere long be universally 

 adopted. He divides the old genus into two sub- 

 genera, Colitis propria, with the caudal fin entire ; 

 and Schistura, when it is divided into two lobes, or 

 is bifid, as in the ordinary Cyprines ; other impor- 

 tant items, such as the internal structure, as well as 

 the colouring, marking the distinction. The pro- 

 portion of the ascertained species in India is twelve 

 of the former to fourteen of the latter. 



This fish is much less common in Britain than 

 the preceding. It was introduced into our Fauna 

 by Berkenhout, as residing in the Trent, and in 

 lakes and ponds. Turton mentions that it is found 



