8o BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



the sides and shades below into a silvery white or 

 into an orange or crimson of a greater or less 

 intensity, according to the locality, sex, and season ; 

 pink, orange, or red spots are usually, but not always, 

 present, sometimes only below the lateral line, 

 sometimes covering the back and sides and even 

 extending on to the dorsal and caudal fins, which 

 are usually greyish or blackish ; scattered white spots 

 may also be present on the sides ; the caudal fin 

 is often tinged with red, sometimes uniformly, 

 sometimes near the edge only, or with a reddish 

 blotch below or one on each lobe ; in the most 

 intensely coloured forms the lower fins are red with 

 the anterior edge white, but the pectoral usually 

 has a dark greenish shade near the white edge, 

 and the red colour of the pelvics and anal may 

 sometimes be greatly reduced. 



In some lakes the Char grow to a good size ; in 

 Windermere they reach a weight of nearly 3 lbs., 

 and Mr. Malloch tells me that he has seen one 

 of 2 J lbs. from Loch Ericht. The size attained 

 evidently depends chiefly on the food-supply and 

 the number of fish, and does not correspond with 

 the area of the lake ; Char grow to 2 lbs. in Loch 

 Killin, which is quite a small loch, whereas in the 

 much larger Loch Doon they never weigh more 

 than a few ounces. In lakes where the Char run 

 small, such as Haweswater and Loch Doon, 

 they feed very constantly at the surface, and are 

 often caught with an artificial fly, but where molluscs, 

 shrimps, etc., are plentiful the Char usually feed at 

 the bottom, and frequenting the deep water are 

 seldom seen. 



The breeding season is from September to March, 



