CHAP. XVI 



THE BRITISH ISLES 



341 



confined to single lakes, often of small area, and these latter 

 offer examples of the most restricted distribution of any 

 organisms whatever. Cases of this kind are found in our 

 own islands, and deserve our especial attention. It has 

 long been known that some of our lakes possessed peculiar 

 species of trout and charr, but how far these were 

 unknown on the continent, and how many of those in 

 different parts of our islands were really distinct, had not 

 been ascertained till Dr. Gilnther, so well known for his 

 extensive knowledge of the species of fishes, obtained 

 numerous specimens from every part of the country, and 

 by comparison with all known continental species deter- 

 mined their sjDecific differences. The striking and 

 unexpected result has thus been attained, that no less 

 than fifteen well-marked species of freshwater fishes are 

 altogether peculiar to the British Islands. The following 

 is the list, with their English names and localities : — ^ - 



^ The list of names was furnished to me by Dr. Giinther, and I have 

 added the localities from the papers containing the original descriptions, 

 and from Dr. Haughton's British Freshicatcr Fishes. 



