136 



Creatfurj? tif Natural 



are soon hatched, and the grubs immediately 

 burrow into the bark, where they remain 

 during the ensuing winter in a torpid state, 

 but in spring they bore more or less dceply 

 into the trunk, the general course of their 

 winding and irregular passages being in an 

 upward direction from the place of their 

 entrance. 



COAL-FISH. (Gadtts carbonarius.*) A 

 Malacopterygious fish, inhabiting the Baltic, 

 the Northern, and the Mediterranean seas : 

 it is common on most of our rocky and deep 

 coasts, but particularly on those of Scotland, 

 the Orkneys, and Yorkshire. The head and 

 body are elegantly shaped ; the scales small 

 and oblong : the lateral line silvery white 

 and nearly straight ; the under jaw is some- 

 what longer than the upper ; the lips tinged 

 with purple red ; the mouth black ; the teeth 

 very small ; and the irides silvery white. 

 When full grown, it is about two feet and a 

 half long, and weighs thirty pounds ; the 

 head, dorsal fins, tail, and upper parts of 

 the body are of a dusky black, which gradu- 

 ally softens into a silvery tinge as it ap- 

 proaches the abdomen ; the tail is broad and 

 forked. According to Mr. Pennant, the 

 young begin to appear in vast shoals on the 





coast of Yorkshire, in July, and are at that 

 time about an inch and a half long ; in Au- 

 gust they are from three to five inches in 

 length, and are taken in great numbers with 

 the rod and line, when they are esteemed a 

 very delicate fish, but when about a year 

 old they are so coarse that few people will 

 eat them. Mr. Couch says, "It is in the 

 highest condition from October to December, 

 at which season it prowls after prey in large 

 companies ; so that when met with they 

 prove a valuable capture to the fishermen ; 

 for though but coarse food, yet being whole- 

 some, substantial, and cheap, they are 

 eagerly purchased by the poor, either fresh 

 or salted. They swim at no depth, and with 

 great rapidity ; but when attracted by bait, 

 will keep near a boat till all are taken ; and 

 I have known four men in two boats, two 

 men in each boat, take twenty-four hundred 

 weight with lines in a very few hours. The 

 season for spawning is early in spring ; im- 

 mediately after which this fish becomes so 

 lank as to be worthless, in which state it 

 continues through the summer." 



These fish derive their English name from 

 the dusky pigment which tinges their skin, 

 and which, when they are handled, soils the 

 fingers like moist coal. The young resort to 

 the rocky bays of the Orkneys and Hebrides 

 in immense numbers, where, according to 

 the period of their growth, they are known 

 by the names of cuddy, sithe, and sillocJc. On 

 the Yorkshire coast the young are called 

 parrs, and when a year 



COATIMONDI. (Nasua.') An animal 

 bearing some affinity to the racoon, except 

 that the neck and body are longer, the fur 

 is shorter, and the eyes are smaller ; but 

 it is more particularly distinguished by \ 

 the elongation of its snout, to which its 

 scientific name nasua refers. By the assist- I 



ance of this long flexible snout, which is 

 somewhat truncated at the end, it roots up 

 the earth, in the manner of a hog, in quest 

 of earth-worms, &c. It also preys on the 

 smaller quadrupeds ; but it lives more upon 

 trees than upon the ground, and is a de- 

 structive enemy of birds, their eggs, and un- 

 fledged young. It is equal in size to a large 

 cat ; its general colour is a cinereous brown ; 

 the tail, which is of very considerable length, ! 

 is annulated with distinct circles of black ; 

 the ears are round, like those of a rat, co- 

 vered with short hair externally, but inter- 

 nally with long whitish hair ; the mouth is ! 

 large, and the under jaw much shorter than 

 the upper. It is a native of Brazil. 

 COBITIS. [See LOACH.] 



COBRA DI CAPELLO. The Portuguese 

 name of the Vipera naja; called by the 

 English names of the HOODED SNAKE and 

 the SPECTACLE SNAKE. [See SNAKE.] 



COCCINELLA: COCCINELLID^E}. A 



genus and family of Coleopterous insects, 

 characterized by their hemispheric form, the 

 upper part being convex, and the lower flat ; 

 and further distinguished by the colour and 

 spots of their wings. Among these are in- 

 cluded all the Lady-birds ; one of which is 

 the Coccinella septempunctata of Linnams, 

 or common seven-spotted Lady-bird, the 

 well-known summer visitant of every field 

 and garden. Though these insects sometimes 

 appear in great numbers, and have occa- 

 sionally created much alarm, it is erroneous 

 to suppose that they do any injury to vege- 

 tation ; on the contrary, both in the larva 

 and perfect state, they feed on the Aphides 

 which infest plants, and are consequently of 



