﻿332 
  DR 
  DAVY 
  S 
  OBSERVATIONS 
  ON 
  THE 
  CHARR. 
  

  

  hardly 
  requires 
  any 
  comment. 
  Whilst 
  they 
  shew 
  how 
  easily 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  introduced 
  

   into 
  any 
  lake 
  or 
  body 
  of 
  water, 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  no 
  significancy 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  

   establishing 
  it 
  for 
  a 
  permanency 
  in 
  such 
  water. 
  What 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  most 
  requi- 
  

   site 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  is 
  deep 
  and 
  pure 
  water. 
  In 
  no 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  Lake 
  

   District 
  is 
  the 
  charr 
  found, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  of 
  this 
  character. 
  The 
  attempts 
  to 
  esta- 
  

   blish 
  it 
  in 
  some 
  not 
  possessed 
  of 
  the 
  qualities 
  named, 
  have 
  repeatedly 
  failed 
  ; 
  and 
  

   in 
  others, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  fish 
  once 
  abounded, 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  either 
  entirely 
  or 
  almost 
  

   extinct, 
  since 
  mines 
  have 
  been 
  opened 
  in 
  their 
  vicinity, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  purity 
  of 
  

   the 
  water, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  inferred, 
  has 
  been 
  impaired. 
  Whether 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  

   food 
  is 
  of 
  much 
  importance, 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  doubtful 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  this 
  its 
  main- 
  

   tenance. 
  There 
  are 
  circumstances 
  that 
  seem 
  to 
  warrant 
  the 
  conclusion, 
  that, 
  

   like 
  the 
  trout, 
  its 
  condition 
  rather 
  than 
  its 
  existence 
  depends 
  on 
  the 
  kind 
  of 
  food, 
  

   and 
  the 
  quantity 
  it 
  can 
  obtain. 
  This 
  we 
  know, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  taken 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  

   baits 
  as 
  the 
  trout, 
  and 
  also 
  that 
  it 
  exhibits 
  varieties 
  like 
  the 
  trout, 
  though 
  hardly 
  

   so 
  strongly 
  marked, 
  according 
  to, 
  as 
  is 
  believed, 
  its 
  manner 
  of 
  feeding 
  ; 
  for 
  in- 
  

   stance, 
  the 
  charr 
  of 
  Hawes 
  Water, 
  which 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  feed 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  on 
  insects, 
  

   is 
  a 
  small 
  and 
  slender 
  fish 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  charr 
  of 
  Windermere, 
  which 
  

   feeds 
  more 
  at 
  the 
  bottom, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  less 
  precarious 
  supply, 
  especially 
  of 
  squillse, 
  

   which 
  abound 
  in 
  that 
  lake.* 
  These 
  remarks 
  are 
  offered 
  with 
  hesitation. 
  The 
  

   subject 
  is 
  one 
  that 
  is 
  not 
  without 
  obscurity, 
  and 
  in 
  need, 
  for 
  the 
  better 
  under- 
  

   standing 
  of 
  it, 
  of 
  further 
  and 
  minute 
  inquiry 
  specially 
  directed 
  to 
  it. 
  

  

  Lesketh 
  Howe, 
  Ambleside, 
  

   February 
  28, 
  1852. 
  

  

  P.S. 
  Reflecting 
  on 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  sea- 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  ova 
  of 
  the 
  charr 
  and 
  its 
  

   young, 
  shortly 
  after 
  quitting 
  the 
  egg, 
  as 
  described 
  in 
  this 
  paper, 
  I 
  venture 
  to 
  offer 
  

   the 
  conjecture, 
  that 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  sea-water 
  may 
  be 
  similar 
  on 
  the 
  impregnated 
  

   egg 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  and 
  its 
  fry 
  ; 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  on 
  this 
  account 
  (looking 
  to 
  the 
  final 
  

   cause), 
  rather 
  than 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  seeking 
  water 
  cooler 
  and 
  more 
  aerated, 
  that 
  

   the 
  salmon, 
  impelled 
  by 
  instinct, 
  quits 
  the 
  sea 
  for 
  the 
  river, 
  preparatory 
  to 
  breed- 
  

   ing 
  ; 
  and 
  also, 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  remain 
  in 
  fresh 
  water 
  till 
  they 
  have 
  acquired 
  not 
  

   only 
  a 
  certain 
  size 
  and 
  strength, 
  but 
  also 
  additional 
  scales, 
  fitting 
  them, 
  in 
  their 
  

   smolt 
  stage, 
  to 
  endure 
  without 
  injury 
  the 
  contact 
  of 
  the 
  saline 
  medium. 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  charr 
  of 
  the 
  Lake 
  District, 
  though 
  occasionally 
  taken 
  with 
  the 
  artificial 
  fly 
  and 
  minnow, 
  

   like 
  the 
  trout, 
  on 
  the 
  whole, 
  I 
  believe, 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  a 
  more 
  delicate 
  feeder, 
  and, 
  in 
  consequence, 
  

   of 
  superior 
  quality 
  for 
  the 
  table 
  ; 
  its 
  organization 
  is 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  this, 
  viz., 
  its 
  smaller 
  teeth, 
  

   and 
  smaller 
  stomach 
  and 
  intestines. 
  The 
  charr 
  of 
  Upper 
  Austria 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  thick 
  stomach, 
  

   approaching 
  in 
  its 
  character 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Gillaroo 
  trout. 
  (See 
  Salmonia, 
  p. 
  55, 
  ed. 
  4th.) 
  In 
  most 
  

   instances 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  this 
  organ 
  in 
  the 
  charr 
  of 
  the 
  Lake 
  District, 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  as 
  thin, 
  

   and 
  often 
  even 
  thinner 
  in 
  its 
  coats 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  trout 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  same 
  water. 
  

  

  