THE LOACH, (Cobitis barbatula,)
Which also belongs to the family of the carps, is a small fish, with six barbs at the mouth. It inhabits small, gravelly streams, and lies at the bottom among the stones; it is easily caught with a small worm.
It is considered an extremely well-flavoured fish, though, on account of its small size, and the difficulty of catching a sufficient quantity, seldom seen at table. The Loach is very sensitive to atmospheric changes, which it shows by its restless movements. They have sometimes been kept alive in glass vessels, in which state they indicate the approach of storms with almost the accuracy of a barometer.