216 BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



beneath a stone, from which it darts off rapidly 

 when disturbed to the nearest refuge at hand. It 

 is said to be more active at night, and feeds 

 chiefly on worms, shrimps, insect larvae, etc. 



The spawning season is usually in April or May ; 

 the only account of the breeding habits of this 

 species with which I am acquainted is that of 

 Knauthe, which is sufficiently interesting to be 

 translated. He writes : " As I was strolling along 

 the banks of a clear and rapid mountain brook 

 in April, 1887, I noticed some Loaches in a deep 

 hole which had been hollowed out by the water ; 

 they kept swimming round near the edge, the 

 males, which were usually the smaller and weaker, 

 always following the stronger females. When they 

 had circled the pool several times, all of them, in 

 number perhaps about a dozen, swam to the pro- 

 jecting roots of an old willow. Here a female fish 

 forced her way through a hole, formed by three 

 roots, and about equal in diameter to the thickness 

 of a finger ; one or more males immediately followed 

 her. The other Loaches occupied themselves in 

 the same way, using similar openings, of which there 

 were plenty beneath the surface of the water. 

 Owing to the considerable irritation of the belly, 

 the females shed their eggs and the males their 

 milt" 



The Loach is said to be excellent eating, but 

 in this country is not now much sought after for 

 this purpose, and its chief use is as a bait for 

 Perch and Pike. 



THE SriNED LOACH (Cobitis tcenid] (PI. XXXII, 

 Fig. 2) is especially remarkable for the mobility 



