IX 



be seen in the Harrison River, 60 miles from the mouth of the 

 Fraser. The greater proportion of the larger fish are diseased. 

 A great number of fish die after the spawning season. He 

 agrees with Mr. J. Keast Lord's description, which is as follows : 

 " Yon will often find salmon with their noses quite worn off, their 

 " heads bruised and battered, fins and tail ragged and torn, 

 " bodies emaciated, thin, and flabby, the bright silvery tints dull 

 *' and leaden in hue " — in fact with all the symptoms of the salmon 

 disease. 



Since Mr. Byers gave his evidence at Kelso, the following infor- 

 mation has been received by us relative to the salmon disease in 

 the rivers of San Francisco in 1880. The Hon. B. B. Redding, 

 United States Government Fish Commissioner in California, 

 states that the same or a similar disease exists there, and has, as 

 far as could be learned, always existed. The Indians are familiar 

 with it, their ancestors were equally so. Mr. Redding is of 

 opinion that none but kelts, or spent fish, and injured fish are 

 attacked by the disease ; that those who return to the ocean 

 recover from it ; and that when they do not return it is because 

 the disease attacks the sight, blinding the fish. 



On this subject a paper was read a short time ago before an 

 Academy of Sciences in America by Mr. Justin P. Moore, an 

 authority on fungoid diseases. He says, " The disease is caused 

 " by a fungus which first begins in the form of a delicate web-like 

 " mass of semi-transparent, very fine threads, resembling a mould. 

 " It may begin either upon the head, gills, or scales ; an examination 

 " with the microscope shows this mass to be made up of simple 

 " threads. These in a few days, from eight to ten, increase in 

 u length and send out branches. These are club-shaped and 

 " are filled with protoplasm. Soon the protoplasm seems to break 

 " up, and zoospores are formed within the club-shaped tube. At 

 " the base of these club-shaped filaments may often be seen shorter 

 " septate filaments, bearing on their summits a globular mass con- 

 " taining spores. These latter are what we call resting spores. 

 " Either zoospores or resting spores may germinate, though the 

 " latter are undoubtedly intended to play the principal part, and 

 " serve to carry over the species from one season to another, as 

 " their name indicates. The disease is known as Saprolegnia 

 " ferax. Whenever there are wounds, or whenever the circula- 

 tion is weak from any cause, and the nutrition consequently slow, 

 " the attack is most likely to begin. For instance, the skin of 

 fishes placed in water not well aerated, in which the mucus is 

 " changed, becomes a fit point of attack. In such water the 

 " bronchial respiration not being well accomplished, the gills may 

 " be the first point of attack. The secretions from wounds 

 " present very favourable conditions to the development of the 

 " disease ; it can be readily transplanted from one animal or fish 

 " to another and there develop itself. This can be accounted for 

 " by the fact that it takes along with itself enough of its own 

 " substance to form a nidus and serve as aliment until the presence 

 " of the disease itself can cause an alteration in the normal mucus. 



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