138 THE CASE CHAR. 



Deep and clear water is not adapted to the habits of an 

 animal that must float on the surface, and yet find its 

 food, or a part of its food, at the bottom. Shallow 

 waters, where there are the roots of plants, are not only 

 the places where the food of water fowl is found in the 

 greatest abundance, but they are the only places where 

 it is accessible. The features of the great lakes are 

 characterised by grandeur, and as the birds that fre- 

 quent them have this character, their numbers are 

 comparatively few. 



Very deep lakes appear to be as little adapted for 

 fish, especially for the catching of them : the plenty and 

 the sport being in waters that are more shallow, or 

 in the streams and rivers. Many of the British lakes 

 are, however, interesting on account of the fish they 

 contain, and several have species that are peculiar. 



Of the indigenous British fishes that are found only 

 in lakes, and are peculiar to certain lakes, and not found 

 in others, the most remarkable are, 



1. THE CASE CHAR. 



THE CASE CHAR, (salmo alpinus,) of which the 

 habits are not very well known, is found, chiefly, if not 

 exclusively, in Winander-Mere, in Westmoreland. It 

 is nearly in the form of a trout. The back is black, 

 which passes gradually into blue on the sides, which 

 again passes into yellow on the belly, upon which there 

 are a few pale red spots. Though the case char has 

 been found in Winander-Mere, it is not a permanent in- 

 habitant of that lake, but appears to enter it from the 

 sea, for the purpose of spawning, which operation it 



