SALMONID^. 117 



Gibson-Maitland found tlie food in the stomach of all he examined from Lake 

 Rannock distended with water fleas, DapJniia pulex. Thompson found in some 

 from L. Inch that their stomachs were crammed with insect larva?, entomostracous 

 Crustacea, a small Notonecta or boat-fly, bivalve shells of the genus Pisidium, and 

 minute gravel. 



Means of capture. — Fishing by bait is best in spring, but is carried on throughout 

 the summer: very fine tackle is necessary. The best places are the deepest parts 

 of the lake. They come in autumn into shallow water (see pp. 110, 111, 112). 



Baits. — The artificial fly, spinning minnow, or spinning spoon, worms. 



Breeding. — Dr. J. Davy found 1230 ova in an example weighing about half a 

 pound, and that the principal spawning season in the lake district is from about 

 the first week in November to the first in December. Whether, he observes, this 

 is the only season is somewhat doubtful, as the fishermen at Windermere speak of 

 a later one in which it is believed by them that fish of the larger size and few in 

 number deposit their spawn in February and March. He "never heard of one 

 being taken or seen in the Brathay after December." The locality chosen for 

 forming a redd is in gravelly shallows in the lakes. They rarely ascend streams 

 towards their source to spawn, but restrict themselves to near their outlet or 

 portions where the current is not very rapid although a shallow is necessary. 

 Thompson observes respecting the time of breeding, that the Loch Killin charr 

 contained ova the size of peas on September 26th or 27th, whereas in the 

 neighbouring lake of L. Corr they were in high condition. This is one out of 

 numerous instances which might be adduced respecting the different periods of 

 spawning in contiguous localities. In Bavaiaa in the Kcenigsee, near Berchtesgarten, 

 some of these fish taken at the latter part of June, July and August were found 

 ready for spawning. 



Dr. Davy informs us that Mr. Reynolds, in 1850-51, found none hatched in less 

 than 60 days, the greater number on the 70th, and from that to the 75th, and some 

 few as late as the 90th : the average temperature in the breeding boxes being about 

 40°. At about 55^ the process has been completed in 41 days, and there were 

 some of the same eggs took 90 days in Mr. Reynolds' hatching boxes. Some eggs 

 of the lake-trout were fertilized with the milt of the charr and commenced 

 hatching in 70 days. 



It was found by Dr. J. Davy that running water is not essential to the 

 development of the eggs of the charr, from which he concluded that its breeding 

 place being distinct from that of the trout it is not likely to give rise to hybrids. 

 " That salt water, even of greater saltness than sea water, is not immediately 

 fatal to the embryo, even when not included in its shell : moreover, that in 

 slightly brackish water a partial development of the ovum may take place, and 

 that the young fish can exist some days in such water, rendering it probable that 

 the adult may be capable of existing in a tidal stream or even in the sea, where it 

 is stated that the Welsh charr has been caught." 



Life history. — The young when artificially reared appear to be somewhat more 

 delicate than the trout. In Austria it is observed to grow much more rapidly in 

 some lakes than it does in others. Yarrell states that in the autumn of 1839, 

 Mr. Upton, near Sedberg, put into the Lillymere Lake, near the reservoir, some 

 charr taken from Windermere, each weighing about ~ lb., and on August 23rd, 

 1840, took with a fly two 2 lb. weight each, in the finest possible season, well 

 fed and beautifully coloured. 



Hybrids. — In Upper Austria, C. Peyrer observes a cross between Salmo salve- 

 linns and the brook-trout is propagated and excels the pure breed in many respects, 

 the eggs of the former are milted from the latter. I have seen two specimens 

 of hybrids over two years of age, the one between a salmon and a Loch Leven 

 trout, the other between an American charr and a brook-trout ; both were sterile, 

 but as to whether merely temporarily or permanently I cannot offer any opinion.* 



* Lenchart observes upon hybrids between the salmon anil brook- or sea-trout that his 

 experiments led him to conclude that the hybrids are fertile and their offspring not sterile. And 

 Professor Ilaack has fertilized the ova of hybrids between charr and trout with the milt of trout 

 (see p. 59 ante). 



