CHARR, Salim umbla, a fish of the same genus with the salmon, occurring in the lakes of Britain and of the continent of Europe. It is abundant in the lakes of Cum berland and Westmoreland, and in some of those of Ireland, of the n. of Scotland, and of Orkney, but in the greater number of the Scottish lakes it is not found. It is the celebrated ombre chevalier of the lake of Geneva. It is sometimes found weighing more than 2 lbs., but is generally under 1 lb. in weight. It has only the anterior part of the comer (the middle line of the palate) furnished with the teeth, agreeing in this with the salmon and bull-trout, and differing from the common trout, salmon-trout, etc. The form is elongated, the greatest depth of the fish about one fifth of the entire length; the tins are rather small; the tail deeply forked; the color of the back dark olive, the sides lighter and spotted with either red or white, according to the condition in which the fish is at the time, the belly also being sometimes deep orange, and sometimes of a pale color; these, and other accidental variations, causing the fish to receive different names, such as case C., red C., gilt C., silver C., and having led some naturalists to believe in the existence of different species. It is not yet quite certain whether the torgoch or of Wales (salm,o salvelinus of some authors) ought to be regarded as distinct or as a mere accidental variety. Whilst it is the most delicious perhaps of the salmonida, the O. is
also the most beautiful; its rich purple, rosy, and crimson tints and white spots render ing it indeed a brilliant and striking object. During summer, the C. haunts chiefly deep cool water, and is seldom seen at the surface till late in autumn. It feeds on insects and minute crustaceans. In the end of autumn or beginning of winter, it ascends rivers to spawn, always choosing those which have a rocky bottom. Whether in lake or stream, it is only to be found in clear waters. Unfortunately, the C. of the English lakes is taken in great numbers, by nets, at the mouths of streams, when about to ascend them in order to spawn, and when not in the best condition for the table.
On some lakes, vast quantities are then caught for the table, particularly for the pur pose of potting. A C. is now and then taken with fly when the angler may lie whipping a lake, which perhaps abounds with them, for trout; but this occurs but seldom. The C. will, too, occasionally take a minnow, if sunk deep and trailed slowly; but the sport it affords is of the most precarious nature. C. are fast diminishing in those of our English lakes which they still inhabit, owing to the wholesale and indiscriminate slaughter which occurs at the spawning season. A large kind of C., sometimes reach ing 4 lbs. in weight, is found in some of the more northern Swedish lakes.