4714 Fishes. 



The Food of the Char. 



Having thus successfully solved the problem as to the food of the 

 vendace, and removed all doubts from even the most prejudiced, I next 

 turned my attention to that of the char. Some fine specimens were 

 obtained from Windermere, and the food, which proved to be the En- 

 tomostraca, with which the lakes abound, was exhibited to the Royal 

 Society of Edinburgh. The char is a gregarious, deep-swimming fish, 

 shy of taking any bait; nevertheless, it will rise to a fly, and the 

 common food of the trout may be found in its stomach, although I have 

 not found it to be so ; nevertheless, it does not seem to me to feed ex- 

 clusively on the Entomostraca, although these unquestionably form by 

 far the larger portion of its natural food. 



The observations as to the food of the char were repeated several 

 times, and always with the same results. 



(The disappearance of the char from many lakes in Scotland, as for 

 example, from the lake of Leven, may be connected with circum- 

 stances dependent on the natural history of the Entomostraca, which, 

 no doubt, form its natural food. — Added to the original MSS. April 

 20, 1855.) 



The Early Spring or Gray Trout of Loch Leven. 



I had remarked many years ago that certain trout of Loch Leven 

 come into season much earlier than others ; that there were some, in 

 fact, which were in the highest condition in the end of December, 

 January, February and March, a period of the year in which all 

 other descriptions of trout are worthless as food for man. I at first 

 conjectured that this peculiarity might depend on a specific distinc- 

 tion, and I am still disposed to believe that in Loch Leven there are 

 two distinct species of lake trout, an early fish and a late one, but 

 anatomical investigation has not as yet borne out this view. But be 

 this as it may, the facts remained simply as they were, — namely, that 

 an admirable sort of trout comes into perfect condition in Loch Leven 

 as early as December and January ; and then came the question of its 

 food. 



In January, 1832 or 1833, I requested two friends* to be present at 



* The late Mr. William Murray, of Hendeiland, and Mr. Graham, of Redgorton, 

 nephew to Lord Lynddoch. 



