THE BLEAK — THE POPE — THE LOACH. 333 



Cobitis barbatula, " the bearded cohy," from the barbs or 

 wattles on bis lips, which give him the appearance not 

 only of having a beard, but also a moustache. Hence also 

 boys by the riverside call him " Beardie," and in shallow 

 water amuse themselves by trying to capture him under 

 stones, from his fancy for getting beneath which he also 

 is designated the Stone Loach. 



Izaak Walton, who writes the word " loche," says he 

 " groweth not to be above a finger long, and is no thicker 

 than is suitable to that length," which is quite true of the 

 loach of the Thames and clear, strong-running rivers ; but 

 there is another loach — the " common pond loach " — 

 which will grow to double this length, and is distinguished 

 by nearly a dozen barbels to his beard. Dr. Badham gives 

 us some very interesting particulars about this loach, 

 which he calls Cobitis fossilis. This fossilis delights in 

 mud, and both smells and tastes of it. 



The loach has had a reputation from of old for wondrous 

 fecundity, and seems always to be either spawning or in 

 roe. This had given rise to a proverb even before the 

 time of Shakespeare, for in the dialogue between two 

 Kochester carriers he makes one of them say to his com- 

 panion, " Your chimney lie breeds fleas like a loach/' which 

 of course does not mean to imply that a loach breeds fleas, 

 but that the carrier's chimney bred fleas as plentifully as 

 the loach propagates its species. 



The word "loach" is the French loche, which is said to 

 be derived from looker, to " fidget," and applied to our 

 cobitis in consequence of his restless, " fidgety " move- 

 ments. But this is hardly the character of the river 

 loach, for he is quiet enough generally under his favourite 

 stones ; and therefore we must presume that it was from 



