FISHES. 151 



season, wten they ascend the rivers and streams to spawn. 

 Some of the Charr spawn during Febi-uary, others during 

 autumn. A few years ago, while going down one of the 

 London streets, I saw in an aquarium-dealer's shop some very 

 beautiful little fish in a large tank. On stopping and asking 

 what they were, I was told that they were Charr. As the 

 fish were new to me, I bought two of them. When I got 

 home I put them in a large and rather deep tank, which was 

 well stocked with growing weeds, ■ and there they lived quite 

 healthily, and apparently perfectly happily, for nearly two 

 years. At the end of this time I changed my house, and 

 during the trouble and inconvenience of moving, the Charr 

 and other fish were placed, rather early on the day of 

 " flitting," in a large disused aquarium, which had been carried 

 into the garden of the new house. Late in the evening I 

 went with a lantern to catch the fish and put them in a tank 

 inside, but in my hurry and in the darkness I caught all the 

 fish but the Charr. When next I saw them they were frozen 

 up in a mass of ice. These were the only Charr I ever kept 

 in confinement, and they might, I think, have been alive now 

 but for my carelessness. During the time I had them they 

 fed upon the eggs and fry of water-snaUs, small aquatic 

 insects, and occasionally vermicelli. They were always very 

 lively and active. 



Charr, like trout, vary in form and colour with the locality. 

 It has been said that in some lakes they are nearly as round 

 as eels, while in others they are as flat as herrings. The chief 

 difference between the Charr and the trout is that the under- 

 part of the body of the former, during the breeding season, 

 acquires an orange or bright red tinge ; and that on the 

 central bone in the roof of the mouth of the Charr, called the 

 vomer or vomerine bone, there are only a few teeth, while 

 the trout has two complete rows. The Chan- has reached 

 21b. in weight, but generally it is not more than from Jib. 

 to 41b. 



There have been more extraordinary stories told concerning 

 the Pike {Esox lucius) (Fig. 105) than any other fish ; and any- 

 one who would believe them all must possess a power of 



