448 Mr. W. Thompson's Notes on British Char. 



colour with those of L. Neagh." In two of the localities just 

 noticed the Char have become very scarce, it may be, even ex- 

 tinct. In February 1839, I was informed by Mr. G. J. All- 

 man, of Bandon, that in the lakes at the source of the river 

 Lee — those alluded to in the 6 British Zoology ' — celebrated 

 till within the last ten years for their fine Char, and which 

 were abundant, that they are not now to be procured, and are 

 nearly, if not altogether destroyed. Their destruction is at- 

 tributed by anglers and the people of the neighbourhood to 

 the Pike, this voracious fish having much increased of late 

 years — the natural haunts of the Pike and Char are, however, 

 very different. When visiting some of the fishing stations at 

 Lough Neagh, in September 1834, I was told by the fisher- 

 men about Crumlin, Antrim, Toome, &c, that they have not 

 known any Char to be taken in the lake for at least ten years, 

 although about twenty years ago they were abundant. Subse- 

 quently I was informed by a most intelligent man, now resi - 

 dent in Belfast, but who lived for a long period at Glenavy, 

 on the shore of L. Neagh, and spent much time in fishing, 

 that Char were abundant at the period just mentioned ; he 

 has seen five hundred taken at one draught of the net, and 

 this not in the breeding season. A part of the lake, which 

 was the deepest (36 fathoms) within his range of fishing, was 

 called the Whiting-hole, from being the chief haunt of this 

 species. In 1837 I offered a handsome reward for a Lough 

 Neagh Whiting, but it was in vain that the fishermen of 

 Glenavy endeavoured to procure one, although the once- 

 favoured haunts of the species were tried, including the Whi- 

 ting-hole. The fishermen at a second station tried with no 

 better success. 



The cause of its disappearance from such a vast body of 

 water as is contained in this lake, or at least from its old 

 haunts there, I cannot pretend to explain ; one fisherman 

 questioned on the subject did, however, and without hesita- 

 tion, account for it by saying, that " they once went down the 

 river Bann to the sea, and never came back again/' ! 



From the following Irish lakes, in addition to Loughs Mel- 

 vin and Eask already mentioned, I have seen examples of 

 Char :— . 



L. Kin dun, county Donegal. A specimen taken by Mr. 

 Wm. Marshall, of Belfast, when fly-fishing here, at the end 

 of June 1837* was kindly submitted to my examination. In 

 length it was 8£ inches, and agreed with the " Northern 

 Char." In an accompanying note it was stated that " its 

 stomach contained numerous small worms." 



