7U 



C B I T I S. 



Hungary, cobalt occurs combined with sulphuric acid, 

 forming stalactites of a pale rose colour. The hexa- 

 hedral cobalt pyrites occurs principally in Norway 

 and Sweden. This may be considered as one of the 

 most common species of cobalt, and is that from 

 which the cobalt of commerce is principally obtained. 

 It is peculiarly distinguished by its silver-white colour, 

 great hardness, and weight. Octahedral cobalt pyrites 

 occurs in Cornwall, and in several parts of the conti- 

 nent of Europe. 



This mineral derives its name from one of the 

 superstitions peculiar to the German miners, where it 

 was first found. The great mines in that country are 

 still supposed to be haunted by evil spirits, named 

 " Kobolden ;" and those minerals which had the appear- 

 ance of rich ores, but which in reality afforded nothing 

 valuable, were considered as the production of these 

 spirits, and were hence named Kobold. A large pro- 

 portion of the cobaltic ores, now so well known to 

 the scientific mineralogist, were thus, through the 

 ignorance of the miners, thrown away as useless, 

 under the name of kobold or cobalt. 



COBITIS (Loche). A genus of soft-finned fishes, 

 with abdominal fins, belonging to the carp family, the 

 characters of which are : the head small, the body 

 elongated, the skin covered with small scales, and 

 having a copious mucous secretion ; the ventral fins 

 placed far backwards, and over them one small dor- 

 sal ; the mouth, at the end of the muzzle, small in the 

 opening, and toothless, but furnished with fibres, and 

 having the lips so formed as to serve for a sucker ; 

 the gill-openings very small, and furnished with three 

 rays only. The lower bone of the pharynx strongly 

 toothed ; they have no caeca, and their air bladder is 

 very small, adhering to the third and fourth vertebrae 

 of the spine. There are several species, three or four 

 of which are natives of the fresh waters of the more 

 temperate parts of Europe. They are very small 

 fishes, and of minor importance, though the flesh of 

 some of them is considered a delicacy. Only two of 

 this genus are mentioned by ordinary writers on 

 British fishes. 



TIic Locke (C. barbatula), is found in some of 

 the clear running streams of the southern parts of 

 Britain. It is a small fish, only about four or five 

 inches long, and of a yellowish colour, clouded and 

 spotted with blackish-brown, and the under part 

 white. The mouth is very small, with a beard or 

 filament at each corner, and four in front of the 

 snout. It spawns early in the season, about the 

 month of April. Its flesh, though small in quantity, 

 is of a good flavour. This species lives only in run- 

 ning streams ; but still Frederick I. of Sweden, con- 

 trived to have it transported to that kingdom, to 

 serve as a bonne bouchc at his royal table. 



The Groundling (C. tcenia) is rather smaller than 

 the common loche, and is distinguished from it by a 

 forked spine under each eye, which is moveable. 

 The ground colour of this species is orange, and the 

 spots black. It is not known in so many parts of 

 England as the other, probably because it is in no 

 estimation for the table. It inhabits running waters, 

 and is found lurking among stones. 



The pond Loche (C. fossilu). This is a much larger 

 species, attaining sometimes the length of about a 

 foot. This species inhabits still waters, such as ponds 

 and ditches, in the sludge and mud at the bottom of 

 which it buries itself to a considerable depth, and 

 will continue to live there for a long time, when the 



water is frozen, or when it is dried up. This specie* 

 has two cirrhi or barbules at the mouth. It is long 

 and slender, and beautifully striped across with brown 

 and yellow. Its flesh is not only in small quantity, 

 but of indifferent quality, soft and of a disagreeable 

 smell ; but the fish is, notwithstanding, often kept in 

 glasses as a matter of curiosity. 



The beauty of its colours, and the liveliness of its 

 motions, form part of its attractions ; but not the 

 only, or, indeed, the principal ones. It is exceedingly 

 sensitive to changes of the atmosphere, and therefore 

 it serves as a sort of barometer, or rather " weather 

 wiser." We might refer this property of it, from the 

 habit which it has of burying itself in the mud, as the 

 same habit is attended by similar sensitiveness in 

 leeches and several other creatures. It seems indeed 

 to be a pretty general law of nature, that animals 

 which live in the mud at the bottom of waters are 

 much more delicate to atmospheric impressions than 

 those which inhabit nearer at top. Of this we have 

 a remarkable instance in the common eels, which, 

 even in the warmest parts of England, descend the 

 rivers, and bury themselves in the mud and sludge 

 of the estuaries, during the winter months, while 

 many of those fishes which inhabit much nearer the 

 surface, actually ascend the rivers at the same season. 

 There is no doubt something physiological in this 

 habit of eels, and that they seek the high temperature 

 of the top of the brackish water, in order to bring 

 forward their spawn ; but still, as this act is purely 

 instinctive, and not the result of any speculation or 

 design in the eels themselves, it must be dependent 

 on natural causes, and the only cause to which we 

 can assign it, is the influence of atmospheric change 

 upon their bodies. 



The pond loche appears to be more susceptible 

 than even the eel. When the weather is boisterous 

 they come to the surface, and seem to partake of the 

 turmoil of the atmosphere, by driving about with 

 great rapidity ; and from the lightness of their make, 

 and the liveliness of their motions, their appearance 

 is very interesting. On the other hand when the 

 weather is cold and sullen, they sink down to the 

 bottom of the glass, and remain in a state of complete 

 repose. It has been said, and alleged and proved 

 by positive experiment, that these fishes are in the 

 constant habit of swallowing air, which they discharge 

 from the vent, converted into carbonic acid gas. 

 This allegation is so contrary to the general habits 

 of fishes, who do not even breathe free air, and so 

 different from the habits of all animals in the fact of 

 discharging carbonic acid from the bowels, that it 

 would require to be established by very nice and 

 very frequently repeated experiments. 



Three-bearded Locke (C. tricirrhatd). This species 

 has been found in the running brooks about Rouen, 

 about the time of the vernal equinox, with the milt 

 and roe in a state of great forwardness. It is reddish- 

 brown on the upper part, with small spots of a darker 

 colour ; and the under part, together with all the fins 

 except the dorsal and the caudal, are clear straw- 

 colour ; these two fins are blackish. 



Several species of loche are mentioned as inhabiting 

 the brooks and tanks of India ; and there is little 

 doubt that there are many species yet to be disco- 

 vered in various parts of the world. It appears, from 

 the remains of fish imbedded in the earth in a fossil 

 state, that this genus was very abundant in former 

 times ; for even the species with which we are at 



