CHAR 97 



In some large specimens examined the stomach 

 contained pieces of weed, insect larvae, and small 

 bivalve shells, but in a young fish the stomach was 

 filled with small crustaceans Entomostraca. For 

 the greater part of the year the Killin Char live in 

 the deepest part of the lake, and are never seen ; 

 but at a certain season for about ten days in the 

 middle of September they come on to the shallows 

 to spawn. 



The following interesting account of this species, 

 and of the Char of Loch Corr, was given by the Irish 

 zoologist, Thompson, in 1840: "The Loch Corr 

 specimen a ' Northern Char ' is in beauty of 

 colour and elegance, combined with strength of form, 

 the finest example I have seen ; it is of a fine deep 

 grey on the upper parts, becoming lighter towards 

 and below the lateral line, about which it is adorned 

 with white spots ; on the lower portion of the sides 

 it is silvery, and beneath of the most brilliant red. 

 This specimen is 16 inches in length, and, with 

 another of similar size, was taken by my friend 

 when angling with an artificial fly, on the 25th of 

 September. The other, which was eaten, was ex- 

 cellent and high-flavoured, the flesh firm and red. 

 Loch Corr is described to me as a deep mountain- 

 lake or basin, less than a mile in length, with rocks 

 rising precipitously above it at one part ; at another 

 it is shallow and sandy, and here this fish is taken 

 in some quantity when spawning. A beautiful clear 

 river issues from the lake. About 1 5 miles from 

 Loch Corr is Loch Killin, situated in the pastoral 

 vale of Stratherrick. Three specimens of Char have 

 thence been brought me. They are remarkably 

 different from the Loch Corr example, are of a 





