BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 
possible to do more than refer the enquirer desirous of 
following up the matter to a more elaborate work than 
this can hope to be. This is not the time or opportunity 
to discuss the merits, or demerits, of these different 
reputed species. Char belong to the Genus Salvelinus, 
and there are structural differences that mark them off 
from their relatives, the Salmon and Trout. Char, too, 
have smaller scales, red spots instead of black, brown, or 
red, and the name itself—Char—is indicative of the 
predominating colour below, as the word comes from the 
W775, 7 
Ty dig Pk 
Ay = =e 
—— a SS phy lst e wy — EN 
Charr \ ~ Fig 37 
Celtic cear, meaning blood, or ceara, meaning red. 
Their distribution, and the reason for their presence in 
several isolated sheets of water situate at high altitudes, 
is as fascinating as a fairy tale, and will amply repay 
following up. We must not, however, be tempted to 
digress. Three pounds seems to be about the maxi- 
mum weight attained in British waters. Spawning takes 
place from Autumn to Spring, a gravel bed being 
selected where the water is not deep. Perhaps the 
four most distinct species (if such they be) are the 
following :— 
72 
