THE HABITS A^D HAUNTS OF FISH. 25 



small fish known as the stickleback, which latter forms 

 their principal food. This fact failed to attract our notice 

 until the year 1862, when we were fishing upon the Awe, 

 in Argyleshire, at different periods during a visit of four 

 months. We had observed a succession of bubbles ap- 

 pearing upon the water's surface for an instant, and hav- 

 ing never succeeded in raising a fish in immediate prox- 

 imity, we concluded that they were caused by an escape 

 of gas or air from the bottom of the water. .After a while 

 there came a day when the momentary bubbles were ex- 

 ceptionally numerous, though they never occurred near 

 the boat. This circumstance did not escaps us, and we 

 put up a cast of brown trout flies, in lieu of the larger 

 salmon fly we had previously been using, and these we 

 succeeded in casting in the midst of a rising of bubbles, 

 and this time not in vain, for ths next instant we not 

 only had a rise but a hooked fish, which eventually proved 

 to be a charr of the northern species, and was found to 

 be gorged with small sticklebacks. Subsequent experience 

 proved that the eruption referred to was simply a shoal 

 of these tiny fish clearing the water in their frantic and 

 futile endeavors to elude their enemies. The fish here 

 spoken of was sent to the proprietor, Colin Campbell, 

 Esq., of Loch Nell, as we were informed that the exist- 

 ence of charr in the loch was unknown and unsuspected. 

 We were afterwards assured by the proprietor, who wish- 

 ed to know the precise fly that had allured the specimen 

 forwarded, that such was the case. Since then, charr 

 have been regularly taken in their proper season. Charr 

 come into shallow waters to spawn during the autumn, 

 often running into the lake feeders to perform this oper- 

 ation, when nets are illegally used for their destruction. 

 Charr are classed with trout under the new Fresh Water 

 Fishery Acts, and the close time is therefore the same. 

 The POLLED, or POWAN, are confined to the Irish lakes, 

 Lough Neagh being especially noted for these fish; Lough 

 2 



