THE CHAR. 



275 



In Windermere there are two kinds of char known to 

 the fishermen the silver and the gilt char, the distinction 

 resting entirely on the difference of colour and quality. 

 Dr. John Davy (" Angler and His Friend") says: "Were 

 the naturalist to attend to colour and spots or markings, 

 as many species of char might be established as there are 

 localities in which it has been found, inasmuch as the char 

 of each lake has, as regards colouring and spots, something 

 peculiar." 



Dr. Gunther's division of the British char is as fol- 

 lows : Sahno alpinus, Scotland ; S. Killinensis, Loch 

 Killin, Scotland ; S. Willoughbii, Windermere Lake, 



THE CHAR. 



Westmoreland, and Loch Bruach, Scotland ; S. Perisii 

 (the Torgoch), lakes of North Wales ; S. Grqyti, Loch 

 Melvin, Ireland ; S. Colii y Lough Eske and Lough Dan, 

 Ireland. 



Day gives Salmo alpinus as the British char, with five 

 varieties, which are the same as Gunther's species. 



None of the British char appear to be migratory. 



Char are gregarious, and for the most part deep-swim- 

 ming, occasionally coming to the surface in bright, hot 

 weather. In the. autumn months they frequent the streams 

 for the purpose of spawning, and it is then that they are 

 often taken with the fly, when fishing for sea-trout in some 

 of the Scottish lochs. In the Lake District they are caught 



