THE CARP FAMILY. 177 



ing motion which most fish practise so gracefully, and 

 which would seem to be rather the result of volition than 

 of muscular action. The moment its exertions cease, the 

 Loach falls heavily and languidly to the bottom, dropping 

 from rock to rock, or from leaf to leaf, until it finds a 

 resting-place, on which, be it stone or plant, it will remain 

 for hours without stirring. 



" I have seen it," says Mr. Newman, " apparently ba- 

 lanced crosswise on the edge of a vertically-placed stone : 

 aquatic progress seems to be the result of powerful exertion 

 of the vertebrae. It is excessively voracious, and will con- 

 sume an incredible number of small worms; as soon as 

 it seizes one it stirs up the sediment in the vivarium, 

 making the water so cloudy that the fish becomes invisible. 

 The lid of the nostril stands up like a little horn on each 

 side of the face. It is unconquerably shy." 



The Loach spawns in March or April. 



Principal Characteristics of the Loach. To those already given in 

 the beginning of the notice may be added the following : Length of 

 head compared with length of body alone (excluding head and tail) as 

 1 to 4. Depth compared with head and body alone as 2 to 11. Nose 

 rounded, pointing downward ; top of head flat. Mouth small, placed 

 underneath like that of a Barbel j upper jaw longest ; 4 beards on upper 

 lip, and 1 at each side of the mouth. Vertebrae 36. Colour : head, 

 body, and sides clouded and spotted with brown on a yellowish-white 

 ground ; belly and under surface white or yellowish white ; all the fins 

 spotted with dark brown, back-fin and tail the most so ; irides blue. 



Fin-rays : D. 9: P. 12 : V. 7: A. 6 : C. 19. 



i5 



