246 SALMONID^ OF BRITAIN. 



Uist in tlio Hebrides. Examples from Sutherlandsliire are in tlie Britisli Museum, 

 wliilc Mr. J. Harvic-Brown informs me that there is a char loch about twenty-five 

 miles from Durness, on Ben Hope, where they are taken up to 1| lb. weight. At 

 Midsummer they are only known to rise at one part of the loch, on its S.E. side, 

 between the e.xit of the stream and the island, Druck Doon (Ayrshire). In Sep- 

 tember numbers are taken with both worm and fly. Mr. Bantock says that char 

 abound in scores of the Sutherlandshire lochs, and mentions the one referred to on 

 Ben Hope, and another small loch (Borley) near the Manse at Durness ; they arc 

 also fovmd in the upper end of Loch Assynt, Loch Altnagallach.and another near 

 Oj'kell. Thompson recorded their existence and obtained specimens fi'om Loch 

 Con-, Loch Moy, and Loch Killin, Inverness-shire, Loch Tay and Dochart, in 

 Perthshire. Sir J. Gibson-Maitland has taken them in Loch Ranroch, they are also 

 recorded from Loch Ericht. Pennant reported their occurrence in Loch Inch, Wig- 

 townshire, and Thompson in Loch Grannoch, Kirkcudbrightshire. Also an 

 example from Loch Bruiach is in the national collection. Black, 18-14, observed 

 that this fish had of late yeai-s disappeared from Loch Leven. 



In England the lake districts of Cumberland, Northumberland, and part of 

 Lancashire, more especially in Windermere, Keswick, Crummoch Water, Butter- 

 mere, Enncrdale, Coniston Water, Bassenthwaite lake, West Water, Hawes Water, 

 and occasionally one is now found in Ullswater ; the area where char do or did 

 frequent was estimated at 35,320 acres. Windermere, we are informed (1878), 

 is very productive, while in Coniston the fish have been poisoned by the mines ; 

 they are also found in Rydal. In Windermere they are somewhat restricted to 

 the deep waters, and spawn in the River Brathay, avoiding the Rothay, which is 

 more frequented by trout. 



In North Wales* this fish is still found near Snowdon, in the Lakes of 

 Llanberris, Llyn Cawellyn, Llyn Coss-y-gedawl, Bala and Bettew Festiniog in 

 Merionethshire. 



In Ireland. In the county of Donegal it has been taken in Lough Esk 

 (Camden), also from near Dunfanaghy, probably Lough Sessagh, where they are 

 still found (Templeton), L. Gartau, L. Kindun, L. Shessuch, L. Keel (Thompson), 

 and L. Derg (Field, June, 1879), L. Elvyn (Couch), and Lough Veagh, while many 

 of the Donegal loughs which have no appearance of a glacial origin, and in some 

 cases, at least, as in the small bog loughs of Innishowen, they are nowhere deep 

 (Ogilby). In Anti-im from L. Neagh (Dubourdieu) : Thompson visited this place 

 in 1834, and was infoi'med that none had been captured for the last ten years, 

 although twenty years previously they had been abundant. An old fisherman 

 explained the reason as follows : — " That they once went down the River Bann to 

 the sea and never came back again." In Monaghan at Lough Eaghish (incoiTectly 

 spelt Esk) according to Templeton, who stated they had become very rare and 

 were all but extinct. In Fermanagh at Lough Melvin and L. Erne (Thompson), 

 Westmeath in Belvidere Lake (Ball), loughs Ennel and Owel, county of Cavan in 

 Drumlano Lake (Thompson) ; in county of Mayo, Castlebar (Daniel) and Lough 

 Conn ; county of Galway in Lough Corrib, and L. Bofin (Thompson), Longford 

 at Lough Nabrach (Ball), Connemara in Lough Ourad (Davy), and Lough Inagh; 

 Wicklow in Lough Dan (Thompson) and L. Lada (Couch), Watcrford in four 

 mountain lakes (Smith), Lough Currane, County of Kerry, and at Inchigeelagh 

 in the county of Cork (Vyse), Loughs Mindorin and Minteagh of Innishowen 

 (Ogilby). 



These fish usually average about 6 or 4 to a pound, or in the best water about 

 six ounces each : but they have been captured in the lake district from 11 to over 

 2 lb. and elsewhere been obtained heavier. 



The figures in plate IX are both from Windermere char captured at the same 

 time, March 31st, 1887. No. 2 is a male 12 inches long, with 33 cascal appendages, 

 and nineteen rows of scales between the base of the adipose dor.sal fin and the 

 lateral-line. No. 3 is likewise a male 11'3 inches long, with 42 csscal appendages. 



* It is rare to iind char in Wales in situations under 1500 feet in altitude. 



