BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 



possible to do more than refer the enquirer desirous of 

 following up the matter to a more elaborate work than 

 this can hope to be. This is not the time or opportunity 

 to discuss the merits, or demerits, of these different 

 reputed species. Char belong to the Genus Salvelinus, 

 and there are structural differences that mark them off 

 from their relatives, the Salmon and Trout. Char, too, 

 have smaller scales, red spots instead of black, brown, or 

 red, and the name itself — Char — is indicative of the 

 predominating colour below% as the word comes from the 



Celtic cear, meaning blood, or ceara, meaning red. 

 Their distribution, and the reason for their presence in 

 several isolated sheets of water situate at high altitudes, 

 is as fascinating as a fairy tale, and will amply repay 

 following up. We must not, however, be tempted to 

 digress. Three pounds seems to be about the maxi- 

 mum weight attained in British w^aters. Spawning takes 

 place from Autumn to Spring, a gravel bed being 

 selected where the water is not deep. Perhaps the 

 four most distinct species (if such they be) are the 



following : — 

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