846 



SCANDIXAVIAX FISHES. 



cording to Mela, to the inland (eastern) tracts and 

 Lake Ladoga, while it is also found in the basin of 

 Lake Onega. 



In Denmark the Charr is wanting; but in tlic 

 alpine regions of Southern Europe and in Great Britain 

 and Ireland it leads the same lacustrine life as in Swe- 

 den. In Switzerland it has been found, according to 

 TscHUDi, at a height of 1,900 m.", in Bavaria, accord- 

 ing to SiEBOLD, about 600 — 800 m., and in Austria 

 about 400 — 700 ra.'', above the level of the sea. It 

 has there maintained its existence since the period when 

 a great part of Europe was covered with ice, and when 

 it could make its way in the cold seas to its present 

 abodes. In the hnvlands between the Alpine Regions 

 and the North it is now wanting. 



The Charr is a powerful and voracious fish-of- 

 prey, in proportion to its size not inferior to the true 

 Salmons. Its favourite hunting-grounds lie in deep 

 water, where it leads a sociable life; but it also ascends 

 to tiie surfac'C to secure the flies and gnats that come 

 within its reach. Its food consists mainly, however, 

 of crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes, both large and 

 small; and it sometimes gorges itself on fish-roe, even 

 that of its own species. In the mountain lakes it has 

 generally to content itself with Entomostraca, which 

 are, however, plentiful enough, as a rule, to yield it 

 an abundant supply of food. Lynceus (Eurycercus) la- 

 mellatus, a small crustacean of the group Cladocem, is 

 of particular importance in this respect, according to 

 Nystrom. In the lowland lakes and those of greater 

 dimensions the Charr finds more anijde store of Cam- 

 maroids, mollusks, and fish, chiefly Gwyniads and Cy- 

 prinoids. But not even fishes armed with spines escape 

 its maw: in the stomach of a female Charr from Lake 

 Wetter no less than five Bullheads (Coitus quadrkor- 

 nis) were found. In Lake Wetter, according to Wide- 

 GREN, the Charr ])asses the greater part of the year in 



the depths, and during spring and earl)- summer is 

 seldom met with in less than 30 fathoms of water, but 

 after midsummer ascends towards evening into shal- 

 lower places, where its lustrous body strikes the ej'e as 

 it swims at the surface. During this season it also 

 makes its way into various inlets with a sandy bottom. 

 Towards autumn it retires to the shallows in the middle 

 of the lake, or visits some of the reefs and rocky pools 

 near shore. 



The Cliarr spawns late in autumn and in winter', 

 in Sweden most commonly in October, the month dur- 

 ing which almost all the breeding Charr received bj' 

 the Royal Museum have been taken. In the fish-ponds 

 at Ostanbiick, however, Mr. Lundberg caught a male 

 with running milt on the 10th of September; and in 

 the Jemtland lakes, according to Nystrom, the general 

 spawning begins during that month. At Stor-Uman 

 in Lycksele Lappmark Trybom was told that there the 

 Light Cliarr (the Greater Charr) commences to spawn 

 at the beginning of October, the breeding-season last- 

 ing 1^ — iVs weeks; but that the Black Charr (the Lesser 

 Charr) does not commence before the end of Novemljer, 

 and takes three weeks to spawn. 



The Scandinavian Charr always select their spawn- 

 ing-places in a lake — according to all authenticated 

 observations'' — by preference on a gravelly or stony 

 bottom in 2 — 4 ra. of water, or sometimes, according 

 to NoRBACK, in water so shallow that the dorsal fin of 

 the breeding fish projects above the surface. But they 

 frequently resort for this purpose to places near the 

 mouth of a stream. Nor do the Swiss Charr ascend 

 the rivers to spawn, according to Fatio; but thej^ choose 

 water 20 — 60 m. (sometimes 80 m.) deep in the great 

 lakes''. In England, however, according to Yarrell', 

 the Charr of Lake Winandermere generallj^ make their 

 way u\) one of its affluents to breed, onl}- a few of 

 them spawning in the lake itself. 



° Fatio believes, however, that in Switzerhind the Charr never ascends voluntarily to lakes more tlian 800 nj. above the level of the 

 sea; but that it has, no doubt, been introduced by pisciculturists into lakes of greater elevation. 



' According to Heokel and Kner up to 1,900 ra. 



' In Bavaria breeding Charr are said to have been found at the end of June, and in Scotland the spawning-season is said to extend 

 from November to February or March (Day, Brit. Salmon., p. 244). Fatio gives instances from Switzerland (1. c, p. 409) of the Charr's 

 spawning in the Lakes of Geneva and NeuchStel both as early as June and as late as April, the usual months being November and December. 



'' According to NystrSm "it seemed in some places (for example Lake Holder) as if the ror (Charr) also resorted to running water 

 for tlie purpose of spawning". 



"' The Deepu-ater Charr which the Royal Museum received from Lake Wetter though Sergeant-major Hall (1830, without specified 

 date) were in breeding condition, a circumstance which perhaps indicates that in Lake Wetter too the Charr may spawn at a considerable 

 depth. NiLSSON also states that the so-called blankroding (Bright Charr) spawns in 30 — 40 fathoms of water on a clayey or muddy bipttom. 



/ L. c, p. 125. 



