CHARI!. 
847 
From Sweden we have no observations of the 
manner in which the spawning is performed; but in 
Land and Water for the 14th of August, 1884, Jack- 
son described the actions of a, female specimen in South- 
port Aquarium when constructing a nest for her eggs. 
“We obtained a fine shoal of char from Windermere at 
the opening of the season this year. Soon after they 
came, I saw one of them had not spawned, and was 
busy making its nest. Its modus operandi was exactly 
as described by Mr. Buckland. It swam slowly down 
towards the selected place as though concentrating its 
energies; when it arrived over the spot, it threw itself 
partially on its side, and dropping the hind part of 
the body, it gave several violent blows (three or four) 
with its tail, scattering the gravel right and left. The 
impetus of the blows not only scattered the gravel, 
but drove the fish upwards in a slanting direction. 
Quietly allowing the force to expend itself, it then 
turned round, swam slowly, and repeated the process 
time after time, until it had made quite a large hole.” 
This observation inclines us to the opinion that in 
essential respects the spawning of the Charr resembles 
that of the Salmon. 
The ova are comparatively large — from 4 to 57 2 
mm. in diameter when ripe. Davy counted 1,230 eggs 
in a female weighing 1 / i kilo. ", and Lunel 4,108 in a 
female weighing 4 kilo * 6 . Their hatching requires a 
longer or shorter time according to the temperature of 
the water. In a temperature of 47 2 ° C. (40° Fahr.) 
Reynolds found the period of incubation to vary be- 
tween 60 and 70 days for most of his Charr ova, 75 
days for some, and 90 days in a few instances; and 
in a temperature of 12 3 / 4 ° C. (55° Fahr.) most of the 
eggs were hatched in 41 days. From the eggs which 
Malm impregnated by artificial means at Baldersnas in 
Dalsland at the end of October, the fry commenced to 
appear in the beginning of the following March, being 
then about 17 mm. long. After living 19 days in an 
aquarium in his room, they were 27 mm. long, and 
had begun to develop the characteristic Parr markings. 
At Ostanback, according to Bystrom 0 , the eggs taken 
in September from the neighbouring spawning-places 
were hatched in January, but the fry at first grew 
slowly in the cold spring-water of the fish-ponds, and 
" See Day, Fish . Gt. Bril, and Irel., vol. II, p. 117. 
6 See Fatio, 1. c., p. 410. 
c See NystrOm, 1. c., p. 15. 
were only a little over an inch long in August. The 
broods of Charr fry sent from Ostanback to the Royal 
Museum show that at the end of the first year the 
length is 97 mm., at the end of the second year 123 
mm., at the end of the third year 137 — 216 mm., and 
in Charr five years old 250 mm. The growth is de- 
pendent, however, in the highest degree on the more 
or less plentiful supply of food. 
The Charr is not only one of the most beautiful 
fresh- water fishes in Scandinavia, but also one of the 
best — for good digestions the best of all. In summer, 
however, it keeps out of the fisherman’s way, living, 
as we have mentioned, in the depths of the lakes, and 
being taken almost exclusively by angling, as a rule 
the least destructive fishery. The Charr is in good 
condition at this time of year, best towards the end 
of summer, if cooked and eaten at once; but its flavour 
rapidly deteriorates, especially in summer. The fisher- 
man changes his tactics when the Charr begin to (ap- 
proach their spawning-places. Where the bottom is 
not too rough, the seine is used; else the place is 
surrounded with nets. In either case an abundant 
take may reward the fisherman; but the spawning- 
season is never the best time of year, either in the 
condition of the fish or with a view to the maintenance 
of the fishery. 
In Lake Wetter Charr are taken during summer on 
long-lines baited with Smelt or bits of Gwyniad or Yen- 
dace, and where the shores are steep, the line may be 
set close to land in a semicircle, so that both ends touch 
the shore. In other places the line must be taken 
farther out into the lake, and set in at least 20 — 30 
fathoms of water. The spawning fishery for Charr in 
the shallows of Lake Wetter begins, according to \\ i- 
degren, about the 10th of October and does not close 
in some parts until the 20th of November. The annual 
take, according to his computation, is about 3,000 kilo. 
In the south of Lake Wetter distinctions Avere draAvn 
about 1830, according to Sergeant-major Hall, between 
three kinds of Charr: the Shore Charr ( Landroding ), 
which attained a length of 9 dm. and a weight of 
57i 0 kilo., back green, belly flame-red, fins of the latter 
colour Avith Avhite margin; the Deepwater Charr (Djirp- 
rddinrj), which attained a length of only 6 dm. and a 
Scandinavian Fishes. 
107 
