448 Mr. W. Thompson’s Notes on British Char. 
colour with those of L. Neagh.” In two of the localities just 
noticed the Char have become very scarce, it may be, even ex- 
tinct. In February 1839, I was informed by Mr. G. J. All- 
man, of Bandon, that in the lakes at the source of the river 
Lee—those alluded to in the ‘ British Zoology "—celebrated 
till within the last ten years for their fine Char, and which 
were abundant, that they are not now to be procured, and are 
nearly, if not altogether destroyed. Their destruction is at- 
tributed by anglers and the people of the neighbourhood to ~ 
the Pike, this voracious fish having much increased of late 
years—the natural haunts of the Pike and Char are, however, 
very different. When visiting some of the fishing stations at 
Lough Neagh, in September 1834, I was told by the fisher- 
men about Crumlin, Antrim, Toome, &c., that they have not 
known any Char to be taken in the lake for at least ten years, 
although about twenty years ago they were abundant. Subse- 
quently I was informed by a most intelligent man, now resi- 
dent in Belfast, but who lived for a long period at Glenavy, 
on the shore of L. Neagh, and spent much time in fishing, 
that Char were abundant at the period just mentioned; he 
has seen five hundred taken at one draught of the net, and 
this not in the breeding season. A part of the lake, which 
was the deepest (36 fathoms) within his range of fishing, was 
called the Whiting-hole, from being the chief haunt of this 
species. In 1837 I offered a handsome reward for a Lough 
Neagh Whiting, but it was in vain that the fishermen of 
Glenavy endeavoured to procure one, although the once- 
favoured haunts of the species were tried, including the Whi- 
ting-hole. The fishermen at a second station tried with no 
better success. 
The cause of its disappearance from such a vast body of 
water as is contained in this lake, or at least from its old 
haunts there, I cannot pretend to explain; one fisherman 
questioned on the subject did, however, and without hesita- 
tion, account for it by saying, that “they once went down the 
river Bann to the sea, and never came back again.” ! 
From the following Irish lakes, in addition to Loughs Mel- 
vin and Eask already mentioned, I have seen examples of 
Char :— | 
L. Kinpun, county Donegal. A specimen taken by Mr. 
Wm. Marshall, of Belfast, when fly-fishing here, at the end 
of June 1837, was kindly submitted to my examination. In 
length it was 83 inches, and agreed with the “ Northern 
Char.” In an accompanying note it was stated that “ its 
stomach contained numerous small worms.” 
