THE NORTHERN CHARR. 309 



Description. — From a specimen fifteen inches and a half in length. 

 Head one-sixth of the whole length., caudal fin included ; depth of 

 the body under the dorsal, equalling the length of the head ; basal 

 line of the operculum oblique ; suboperculum very broad, slightly 

 produced at its inferior posterior margin ; preoperculum sinuous ; 

 jaws nearly equal. Colour of the back dark olive ; sides bluish-grey ; 

 belly inclining to yellow ; dorsal and caudal fins dusky ; ventrals red- 

 dish ; pectorals tinged with grey ; sides spotted with white, more con- 

 spicuous above the lateral line. (During the spawning season the 

 back is umber-brown ; the sides greyish ; the belly, pectoral, ventral, 

 and anal fins, bright crimson-red ; the first ray of the ventral and anal 

 fins white ; the sides above and below the lateral line marked with 

 red spots.) Dorsal fin situated half-way between the point of the 

 upper jaw and the base of the middle caudal ray ; third ray the long- 

 est, equalling the length of the pectorals ; the sixth as long as the 

 base of the fin ; the last one-half the length of the fourth ; adipose fin 

 rather small ; placed nearer the last ray of the dorsal than to the tip 

 of the caudal fin. Tail forked, the middle ray one-half the length of 

 the longest ray of the same fin ; anal fin shorter than the dorsal, the 

 last ray the shortest, one-third the length of the fourth ; the sixth ray 

 as long as the base of the fin ; ventrals equalling in length the long- 

 est ray of the anal ; axillary scale not half the length of the fin ; pec- 

 torals pointed, the last ray about one third the length of the second. 

 Teeth small and sharp in both jaws and on the palatines ; those on 

 the vomer few in number and confined to the most anterior extremi- 

 ty ; tongue with six teeth rather stouter than the others ; lateral line 

 straight throughout its course ; scales small and adherent ; flesh red. 

 Number of fin rays — 



1st D. 12 ; P. 12 ; V. 9 ; A. 12 ; C. 19. 



The usual weight of this species of Charr is about three 

 quarters of a pound, although specimens have been occa- 

 sionally taken weighing beyond two pounds. It is found in 

 many of the lakes of England, Wales, and Scotland, and 

 has received various names according to the intensity of the 

 colours it presents at different periods of the year ; and even 

 individuals taken at the same period are often found to 

 vary excessively in this respect. Thus, " six specimens 

 of Charr were selected from a hawl of a net taken in Win- 

 dermere on the 12th December a few seasons ago, exhibit- 

 ing the following variations as to colour : — No. 1, ground- 



