CHAR loi 



is probably extinct It used to inhabit the Loch of 

 Hellyal in the Island of Hoy, and in 1862 Dr. 

 Trail captured two of them, fishing with a worm. 

 These are both males, 7 to 8 inches long, and are 

 now in the British Museum ; one of them is shown 

 on PL XII, Fig. 2. 



In the rather slender body, the blunt snout, and 

 the rounded lower jaw included within the upper, 

 this species resembles the Rannoch Char ; but there 

 the resemblance ceases, for the head is short, the 

 eye small, the interorbital region convex and rather 

 broad, and the fins small ; moreover, the caudal 

 peduncle is more slender than in the Struan, twice 

 as long as deep. 



During the last few years Mr. William Cowan 

 has very kindly made several attempts on my behalf 

 to get more examples of this interesting fish, but 

 without success. Mr. P. Middlemore, who owns the 

 lake, has also made unsuccessful efforts to catch 

 some Char ; none have been captured since he has 

 been the proprietor, and he believes they are extinct. 

 Char are not known from any other lakes in the 

 Orkneys. 



The Shetland Char {Salvelmus gracilliintis) is 

 also a very distinct form. It is found in the Loch 

 of Girlsta, Tingwall, whence some have been sent to 

 me by Mr. J. S. TuUoch, who tells me that Girlsta 

 is the only Char loch in the Shetlands. This 

 species has the body more elongate than any other 

 Char, the greatest depth being contained from five 

 and a half to six and a half times in the length of 

 the fish, measured to the base of the caudal fin ; 

 the form of the snout, blunt and somewhat truncated. 



