DUMFRIES/ observed in the tideway, but has been told of fish with sea-lice being affected 

 by the disease. 



It cannot arise from overstocking. There were many more fish when he 

 was a boy than now. 



The exceptionally severe winter and spring cannot have caused the disease, 

 though it appeal's to be from the severity of the winter that the disease is 

 worse. 



The disease occurred above Cluden Rocks. His water is above the pollu- 

 tions. Has no records of the temperature of the water. The water was low. 

 The river was about half or two thirds full. The low water enabled him to 

 see the fish better. It was in the spring and summer that he saw them, and 

 the fish were not injured by frost. 



The use of guano manure cannot have had anything to do with the disease. 



Lives close to the spawning grounds. The spawning grounds were crowded 

 in the spring of 1879. Cannot say if there were more fish than usual. Per- 

 haps the fish were a little later coming up. The male fish were perhaps most 

 affected. Every year many kelts die, but there were more than usual this year. 

 Saw an immense quantity. 



The dead fish were sometimes taken out. No orders were given to remove 

 dead fish as was done on the Esk. 



The specimens produced, taken in the Nith, must have been dead a long 

 time. 



Macalpin Leny, Dalswinton. — Is well acquainted with the Nith. Lives 

 seven miles from tidal water. Has taken much interest in the disease since 

 March 1878. Has observed and opened many fish. Observed no peculiar 

 symptoms. The intestines were in perfect order. The flesh was perfectly 

 firm and rich. The fish were covered with fungus from tail to head. Sir 

 Robert Christison measured the fungus and found that it grew on the fish 

 between Saturday and Monday. 



In the first week in April he put the net in the Tweed and took 10 female 

 fish — some with fungus : two were affected on the dorsal fin. 



Heard of disease in the Drumlanrig water among the sea trout. Wrote to 

 Mr. Fenton, Procurator Fiscal of Dumfries, to get a diseased fish in tidal 

 water. Got sea trout with sea lice on it and with the disease. The fish was 

 seen by many, and was sent to Mr. Stirling at the Anatomical Museum, 

 Edinburgh. The skin was marked like the scar of a burn. This was the 

 only diseased fish he knew of taken out of the sea. The gills were closed : 

 attributes its death to suffocation. 



[Produces a specimen taken eight miles from tidal water.'} 



This fish had not been four days out of the sea. 



The river was very low in the spring. Does not attribute the disease to the 

 fish being confined in shallow water. If there is a big flood in April the kelts 

 will not always go down. Has pulled out 32 fish in April. Kelts will only 

 go down when it suits them. They will not invariably go down in floods in 

 April and March. 



After the breaking up of the ice this spring the fish were all in the river. 



Has formed no idea as to the causes of the disease. • Is inclined to agree 

 with Sir Robert Christison that the fungus arises from disease, but it is not 

 the disease itself. Six minnows were confined in the water supplying Edin- 

 burgh, and they ate the fungus and throve 4 on it. The fungus is an after- 

 consequence of disease. 



The first stage in old fish is a white spot on the frontal bone. In clean fish 

 it comes out more at the tail. 



Injuries do not predispose the fish to disease. Sores are not a cause of it. 

 Female fish are not torn, and yet they are diseased. Took 10 females, all of 

 which were affected : some were very bad with fungus, others with white spots. 



His observation of the Nith extends to 1878. 



It is a new disease. 



The only thing to do is for Government to give power to bury every fish. It 

 is at present illegal to do so under the Solway Act. 



It is a disease which requires no half measures. The whole fish in the 

 river should be buried in March whether diseased ^or not. "Would stamp it 

 out like the cattle plague. 



The fish have spawned in March and so the kelts would all be cleared out, 



