THE NORTHERN CHARR. 311 



both these specimens are marked on the sides with obscure, 

 pale reddish spots. These two fish were what the fisher- 

 men called Case Charr (Salmo alpinus) male and female, 

 yet the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins of the former, and 

 the ventral and anal fins of the latter sex were conspicuously 

 margined with white, although that character is usually re- 

 garded as distinctive of the torgoch or Red Charr.'" 1 * 



It is the opinion of M. Agassiz that the Salmo umbla, S. 

 alpinus, S. salvelimis, and S. salmarinus of Linnaeus, are all 

 the same fish, differing only as regards colour ; and Pen- 

 nant states that, on the closest examination, he could find 

 no specific differences between the Red Charr, the Case 

 Charr, the Gelt Charr, and Silver Charr of the northern 

 lakes. 



The Northern Charr, in the months of November and 

 December, leaves the deep waters and ascends the tributary 

 streams to deposit its spawn in the shallows, when numbers 

 are taken with the net at the very time when their preserva- 

 tion ought to be the most strictly attended to, and when, in 

 truth, they begin to fall off in their condition. From their 

 great unwillingness to take a fly, they offer but little diver- 

 sion to the angler, except to those who are in the habit of 

 skilfully using the minnow, when as many as two dozen 

 have been taken in a day by a single rod. According to 

 Sir William Jardine their food seems to be minute Ento- 

 mostraca. A few specimens are occasionally taken in Loch- 

 leven when dragging the net for trout. 



Salmo umbla is distinguished from S.Jario, S. ccecifer, S. 

 salmulus, and S. trutta, by having the anterior part of the 

 vomer only armed with teeth ; and from S. eriox and S. 

 salar, by the body being marked with red or white spots. 

 There are many other distinguishing characters, but these 

 " Art. Ichthyology, Encyc. Brit. 



