THE LOACH 215 



tula] (PL XXXII, Fig. i) has the body elongate and 

 subcylindrical, and the head rather long, with the 

 small eyes placed high up, and the blunt snout 

 projecting beyond the transverse inferior mouth, in 

 front of which are two pairs of barbels, whilst a 

 third pair are placed near its corners. The gill- 

 openings are small, ending below in front of the 

 base of the pectoral fins ; the pharyngeal bones 

 bear a series of ten or fewer small pointed teeth 

 on each side. The dorsal fin, of three simple and 

 seven or eight branched rays, is placed in the middle 

 of the length of the fish, and its origin is above 

 or a little in advance of the base of the pelvics ; 

 the anal has three simple and five or six branched 

 rays, and the caudal is subtruncate. The scales 

 are so minute and hidden by slime that the body 

 generally appears naked ; the lateral line may be 

 seen on the middle of the side. The colour of 

 the back and sides is usually greyish, sometimes 

 yellowish, brownish, or greenish, with darker spots 

 and marblings ; the belly is whitish, and the dorsal, 

 caudal, and pectoral fins are barred with series of 

 small blackish spots. 



The usual length of this little fish is 3 or 4 

 inches, and 5 inches is about the maximum. It 

 is widely distributed, being found all over Europe, 

 except the Iberian Peninsula and Greece, and in 

 Asia extending through Turkestan and Siberia to 

 northern China, Corea, and Japan. In our islands 

 it is generally present, except in the Northern 

 Highlands of Scotland. 



As a rule the Loach is found in small clear 

 streams with a sandy or gravelly bottom, and 

 spends most of its time during the day concealed 



