Mr. W. Thompson's Notes on British Char. 443 



are found to be just ready for exclusion : a small portion of 

 both has been indeed shed by a few individuals. A specimen 

 7| inches in length weighs with the ova 2^ oz., the ova sepa- 

 rately \ an oz. and 1^ drachm. On accurately reckoning 

 these ova, which are 2 lines or £th of an inch in diameter, 

 they amount in number to 482 — this I should say, or 500 for 

 round numbers, is the average produce of the species in this 

 lake. The example was selected out of seven females as of 

 average size, and the ova as of average quantity. The air- 

 bladder is in both sexes of a beautiful reddish lilac colour, 

 like the inside of some species of North American Unio, as 

 U. pyramidatus, Lea, &c. The stomach and intestines of the 

 greater number (13 were cut up) were empty, but a few con- 

 tained the remains of food which could not be satisfactorily 

 determined — it consisted either of minute aquatic insects or 

 entomostracous Crustacea, more probably the latter. When 

 boiled, the flesh of the male was of a rich salmon colour, that 

 of the female a very little paler in hue. 



Nov. 16, 1838. — To the kind attention of Viscount Cole I 

 am indebted for twelve Char from Lough Melvin (partly in 

 the county Fermanagh), sent immediately after capture. In 

 the accompanying note, dated Florence Court, 15th Novem- 

 ber, His Lordship remarked — " I can procure you any num- 

 ber you wish, as the people are now taking them in cart-loads. 

 The flesh of such as I send is white and soft, and different 

 from what that of Char is in any other lough." 



These specimens, which are in a fresh state and excellent 

 condition for examination, are all from 10 to 12 inches in length, 

 and differ greatly from those of Loch Grannoch, in presenting 

 little or no beauty of appearance. The upper half of the body, 

 in both sexes, is of a dull blackish lead colour, unrelieved by 

 spotting in any but three or four individuals, which exhibit 

 a considerable number of minute spots which are merely of a 

 paler shade than the surrounding parts, and consequently in- 

 conspicuous ; for more than half the space between the late- 

 ral line and ventral profile they are dull lead colour, without 

 any spots except in the individuals just noticed ; the lower 

 portion of the sides varies in individuals from a pale to a rich 

 salmon colour, which latter is seen in only one or two ex- 

 amples. The dorsal fins are of a uniform gray and transpa- 

 rent ; in some, when closely examined, there appear roundish 

 spots of a paler colour ; pectorals dusky gray, darker towards 

 the tips, except at the lower portion, which, partaking of the 

 colour of the part of the body in which it rests, is of a pale 

 pinkish white ; ventrals in the brighter-coloured individuals 

 with a white marginal line ; in the duller-coloured examples 



