Dr. A. Gunther on the B?-itish Charrs. 231 



We are, therefore, not justified in admitting one of those Linnsean 

 denominations for the British species which will be described in this 

 paper. This view being in contradiction with that of all former 

 writers, I think it necessary to give a historical review of what has 

 been done on the subject. Not a love of starting novel views, much 

 less an ill feeling towards any of the previous inquirers, but the plain 

 necessity of supporting the truth of my opinion forces me to show 

 where observations have been imperfect, or where they do not agree 

 with nature. Conscious of the imperfectness of my own labour, I 

 should not be wise to provoke just retribution by unfair severity 

 towards others. 



1685. Willtjghby is the first who with the practised eye of an 

 ichthyologist examined the Charrs of England and Wales, devoting 

 a separate article to their description*. He recognizes their affinity 

 to the Salbling (S. salvelinus), and lets the descriptions of the Ger- 

 man and British fishes follow one another ; but the " Torgoch " of 

 Wales and the "Red Charre of Winander-mere " appear to him to 

 be the same species, with which he unites even the " Reutele " or 

 Rothel of South Germany — a fish which, however, appears to have 

 been known to him rather by name or by recollection than by actual 

 examination and by comparison with the British fish. 



At a time when naturalists were only beginning to advance be- 

 yond the individual specimen to the conception of classification, and 

 to form the ideas of species and genera, it was creditable enough to 

 note the British Charrs on the whole as different from the Salbling, 

 and, at the same time, to indicate their affinity. 



Willughby mentions the Gilt Charr besides the Red Charr, also 

 from the lakes of Westmoreland, considering it identical with Sal- 

 viani's Carpione from the Lago di Gardaf. In the description of 

 the latter he says (p. 1 9 7), "Inpalato quinque dentium areolce," whilst 

 he expressly and correctly mentions that the middle of the palate is 

 toothless in the Salbling as well as in the Red Charr. Therefore 

 the Gilt Charr, as it is understood by Willughby, cannot be a true 

 Charr without teeth along the middle of the vomer (Salmo sensu 

 stricto) ; but it is a species of Salar or Fario, with five series of teeth 

 along the roof of the mouth, viz. two along the maxillaries, two along 

 the palatines, and one along the vomer. 



We shall see that Pennant and Yarrell mention the Gilt Charr (of 

 which I have not seen an example) as a variety of the common 

 Charr ; but what Pennant says about its habits and propagation 

 tends to show that Willughby was perfectly right in referring it to 

 (or near to) a very different species. 



1738. The confusion commences with Artedi and Linnaeus, 

 who, without knowing the British fish, refer Willughby 's Red Charre 

 to the Salmo alpinus from Lapland. 



1755. Farrington, in a letter printed in the 'Philosophical Trans- 

 actions ' of that year, gives some notes about the general appearance 



* Will. Hist. Pise. p. 190. 



f See Heckel, Reisebericht, p. 98 {Salmo carpio, L. ; Fario carpio, Ileck.). 



