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  XX. 
  — 
  Some 
  Observations 
  on 
  the 
  Charr 
  (Salmo 
  umbla), 
  relating 
  chiefly 
  to 
  its 
  

   Generation 
  and 
  Early 
  Stage 
  of 
  Life. 
  By 
  John 
  Davy, 
  M.D., 
  F.R.SS., 
  L. 
  & 
  E., 
  

   Inspector-General 
  of 
  Army 
  Hospitals, 
  &c. 
  

  

  (Read 
  15th 
  March 
  1852.) 
  

  

  The 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  Charr, 
  especially 
  as 
  regards 
  its 
  generation 
  and 
  the 
  

   early 
  period 
  of 
  its 
  life, 
  is 
  admitted 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  defective, 
  partly, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  arising 
  

   from 
  the 
  peculiar 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  withdrawing 
  it 
  from 
  observation, 
  and 
  in 
  

   part, 
  and 
  more, 
  to 
  the 
  circumstance 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  comparatively 
  of 
  rare 
  occurrence, 
  

   being 
  found 
  only 
  in 
  a 
  limited 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  deepest 
  lakes 
  of 
  this 
  country, 
  and, 
  

   with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  seldom 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  angler, 
  and 
  consequently 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  

   removed 
  from 
  the 
  notice 
  of 
  the 
  naturalist. 
  

  

  Residing 
  for 
  several 
  years 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  Windermere, 
  — 
  a 
  lake 
  in 
  

   which 
  this 
  fish, 
  though 
  decreasing 
  in 
  number, 
  is 
  still 
  pretty 
  abundant, 
  — 
  I 
  en- 
  

   deavoured 
  to 
  collect 
  information 
  respecting 
  its 
  breeding, 
  the 
  time 
  required 
  for 
  

   the 
  hatching 
  of 
  its 
  ova, 
  and 
  the 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  after 
  its 
  exclusion, 
  

   but 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  measure 
  in 
  vain. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  were 
  acquainted 
  with 
  

   its 
  spawning 
  season 
  and 
  the 
  spawning 
  localities 
  ; 
  but 
  none 
  of 
  them 
  had 
  ever 
  seen 
  

   a 
  young 
  charr 
  after 
  its 
  quitting 
  the 
  egg, 
  nor 
  till 
  it 
  had 
  attained 
  a 
  notable 
  size. 
  

  

  Artificial 
  breeding 
  — 
  that 
  process 
  of 
  fecundation 
  which 
  was 
  first 
  tried 
  by 
  

   Count 
  Golstein 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  century, 
  and 
  has 
  since 
  been 
  so 
  success- 
  

   fully 
  employed 
  both 
  in 
  propagating 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  valuable 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  

   Salmonidse, 
  and 
  in 
  illustrating 
  their 
  history 
  — 
  occurred 
  to 
  me 
  as 
  the 
  only 
  likely 
  

   means 
  of 
  affording 
  the 
  information 
  desired. 
  

  

  About 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  viz., 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1850, 
  a 
  gentleman, 
  Moeris 
  Rey- 
  

   nolds, 
  Esq., 
  living 
  near 
  th£ 
  lake, 
  — 
  through 
  whose 
  garden 
  a 
  small 
  stream 
  of 
  good 
  

   water 
  descends 
  from 
  the 
  hill 
  above, 
  very 
  favourably 
  circumstanced 
  for 
  carrying 
  

   on 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  artificial 
  breeding, 
  — 
  commenced 
  the 
  attempt, 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  

   recommended 
  by 
  Jacobi. 
  This 
  process 
  is 
  now 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  as 
  hardly 
  to 
  require 
  

   description. 
  I 
  may 
  briefly 
  mention, 
  that 
  two 
  wooden 
  boxes, 
  communicating, 
  were 
  

   used, 
  through 
  which 
  a 
  small 
  current 
  of 
  water 
  was 
  allowed 
  to 
  pass 
  by 
  a 
  grating 
  of 
  

   perforated 
  zinc, 
  over 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  gravel 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  each 
  compartment. 
  

   In 
  these 
  boxes 
  the 
  roe 
  of 
  the 
  fish, 
  for 
  trial, 
  after 
  admixture 
  with 
  the 
  fluid 
  milt, 
  

   was 
  deposited, 
  each 
  obtained 
  from 
  individuals 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  spawning, 
  or 
  mature 
  

   for 
  that 
  act, 
  as 
  denoted 
  by 
  both 
  the 
  roe 
  and 
  milt 
  being 
  yielded 
  under 
  gentle 
  

   vol. 
  xx. 
  part 
  in. 
  4 
  s 
  

  

  