166 MALACOPTERYQII. 



" From the following Irish lakes, in addition to Loughs Melvin and Eask, 

 already mentioned, I have seen examples of char : — 



" L. KiNDUN, 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 8| inches, and agreed with the ' Northern 

 Char.' In an accompanying note it was stated that ' its stomach contained 

 numerous small worms.' 



" L. Gartan, County Donegal.* Hence, on July 18, 1838, I was favoured 

 with a specimen by John Vandeleur Stewart, Esq., of Rockhill, Letterkenny. 

 This gentleman remarked at the same time, that it was taken with the fly about 

 five weeks previously, and that there are a great many char in the lake, which is 

 seven miles distant from Letterkenny. It is 10 inches in length, and a fine 

 example of the ' Northern Char ; ' the spots, which are numerous, are nearly all 

 below the lateral line. 



" L. Dan, County Wicklow.f From this lake several char have been kindly 

 sent me by my friend Mr. R. Callwell, of Dublin. None are above 7| inches in 

 length ; they present some of the characters both of the Northern and Welsh 

 char, but appertain more to the former. In February, 1839, Mr. George Smith, 

 of Baggot Street, Dublin, informed me, that in summer, four or five years since, 

 he, when using small showy flies (with which they are often captured here), took 

 thirteen char in this lake within half an hour ; the water was very rough — they 

 were all taken within the space of two yards, though he fished to some little dis- 

 tance on every side. In the summer of 1838 this gentleman saw about a dozen 

 char lying dead and much swollen on the banks of Lough Dan. Mr. Smith has, 

 within the last few years, seen char about 15 inches long caught in Llanberris 

 lake, in North Wales. It will be remembered that Pennant mentions this fish 

 as once found here, but as entirely destroyed by the mineral streams from the 

 copper mines contiguous to the lake. 



" Loughnabrack, County Longford. In Dr. R. Ball's collection is a char 

 from this locality. 



"L. CoRRiB, County Galway. I have been favoured with an example from 

 this extensive lake by Mr. W, R. Wilde, who states that char are captured here 

 in great quantity (especially about Cong) in draught-nets along with salmon 

 throughout the season for taking this fish — from the 1st May to the I'ith 

 August. It is commonly called here Mumeene, and by those who give an Eng- 

 lish name, ' Freshwater Herring.' These names are applied to the char in three 

 lakes in the County Mayo, and from all of which Mr. Wilde has seen specimens. 

 The example from L. Corrib is 13^ inches in length, and would be called the 

 Northern Char — in a dry state, and after being preserved for some time, it is in 

 all respects identical with my specimens from Wmdermere. 



" A few very brief remarks may be oftered in conclusion. It would appear 

 that the differences here noticed in the char are chiefly induced by locality ; but 

 this in itself is rather an eff"ect than a cause. The cause is, 1 conceive, based 

 on geological influences, as the ' formation ' in which the lake inhabited by this 

 fish is situated, and whether there be a prevalence of rock, gravel, sand, or peat, 

 — if fed by sprmgs or a goodly river, and if the latter the formation through 

 which it flows, — the depth of water, &c. According to these features, the 

 quality of the water and the minute animals constituting the food of the char 

 will vary, and the latter not only in quantity produced, but in species. Accord- 

 ing to its food the external appearance of this fish is influenced, as well as the 

 flavour and colour of its flesh. No proper comparison, again, can in any respect 

 be made between the char of different localities, imless the examples be in similar 

 condition, and which, as before mentioned, they sometimes are not in adjacent 



ference. This matter is worthy of notice in connexion with the disappearance 

 of the char from Lough Neagh. 



* When visiting Lough Derg in this County, in the autumn of 1837, 1 was 

 assured that char are abimdant m it. 



t In the lake of Luggela, in this County, the char is likewise taken. 



