308 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



are pointed, in S.fario they are rounded. The caudal fin in 

 S. ccecifer is lunated at the end ; in S. fario itis sinuous or even. 

 S. ccecifer has never any red spots ; S.fario is scarcely ever 

 without them. The caudal rays are much longer in ccecifer 

 than in fario, in fish of equal length. In S. ccecifer the tail- 

 fin is pointed at the upper and lower extremities ; in S.fario 

 they are rounded. The flesh of S. c&cifer is of a deep red, 

 that of S.fario is pinkish and often white. The caecal ap- 

 pendages in S. ccecifer are from sixty to eighty in number ; 

 in S.fario, I have never found them to exceed forty-six. 



" Lochleven (of which the barren isle and now dismant- 

 led castle are famous in history as the prison-place of the 

 beautiful Queen Mary) has long been celebrated for its 

 breed of trout. These, however, have fallen off of late con- 

 siderably in their general flavour and condition, owing, it is 

 said, to the partial drainage of the Loch having destroyed 

 their best feeding ground, by exposing the beds of fresh- 

 water shells, which form the greater portion of their food."* 

 They spawn in January, February, and March. The fish 

 described does not appear to be peculiar to this loch, as I 

 have seen specimens that were taken in some of the lakes 

 in the county of Sutherland with several other trout, which 

 were too hastily considered as mere varieties of S. fario. It 

 is more than probable that the Scottish lakes produce seve- 

 ral species of trout known at present by the name of S. 

 fario, and which remain to be further investigated. 



Salmo uMBLA.f — The Northern Charr. 



Specific Characters. — Vomerine teeth confined to the anterior part ; 

 body spotted with white or red ; axillary scale more than one-third 

 the length of the ventrals. 



* Encyc. Brit. There are two or three varieties of S. fario in Lochleven 

 with white and pinkish flesh, which are much inferior in flavour to S. ccecifer. 



t Salmo umbla, Cu.\.,Yarr., Jen., S. alpinus, Penn., Alpine Charr, Case 

 Charr. 



