Sea trout are largely affected. More of them were noticed than of salmon. ANNAN. 

 The fish affected lie in shallow places moving sluggishly. Cannot say if then' — - 



hrains are affected. Cannot say if the disease kills rapidly. It was noticed in 

 February, March, and April, but cannot say when the fish began to suffer. 

 Kelts are in the river till May. 



The river Esk is very late. The clean fish come up in small numbers in 

 March. There is a " Candlemas " run, like that on the Nith. Cannot say if 

 there is a Candlemas run in the Annan. The river is small, and no fish come 

 in numbers till June, and there is no run of any magnitude till August. 



The fish are not in condition in September. They are very poor eating. 

 The fish are barely fit for the table in the early part of September. This 

 applies to the Nith also. Four out of five fish are gravid. The rivers on the 

 Solway ought all to have the same close time. An alteration of the season in 

 the Annan will cause opposition in the Eden and Esk. The size of the mouth 

 of the Annan show3 that the close time should not commence later. 



The kelts are generally out of the river in May. They stay in the tidal 

 water. The water of Esk is peaty. The Esk is the best river in this part of 

 Scotland for sea trout. 



Sea trout and herlings, i.e. young sea trout, are also affected by the 

 disease. 



Robert C. McQueen. — Resides with his father, tacksman of salmon 

 fishings, in the Annan district. Has seen a good deal of the disease. First 

 saw it in the spring of 1878. This was the first appearance of it. In the 

 Forth there was a similar disease 30 or 40 years ago. Cut up and ate the fish. 

 They were red fleshed and firm, and very good. The intestines were not 

 affected. It was purely a scab, and the fungus is an after-effect. The fungus 

 preys on the decaying flesh. It is purely a fresh-water disease. Fish are 

 descending when affected. They heal directly they reach salt water. Over- 

 stocking is the cause. Later fishing would remedy it. A river can only pro- 

 duce a certain amount of fish. 



In the end of September 1877, there was the largest run of salmon ever seen. 

 The next spring the disease appeared. The stock is diminishing. Does not 

 impute this to the disease. 



It is foolish to bury the fish. In the Annan the people went into the pools 

 and drove the fish to sea. 



The disease is contagious. The fish affect one another, but all the fish 

 would soon descend to sea and be healed. The sea cures the fish as it mends 

 kelts. Kelts when ulcered are over-cured. The disease does not drive the fish 

 down. They will descend according to the water. They principally descend 

 in March. Has not had any opportunity of observing if smolts are diseased. 



Sea trout are diseased. Does not get burn trout in his fishery. 



The fish are undoubtedly in good condition in September. Can show a 

 20 lb. fish got to-day lying on the sand here. Would extend the fishing 

 season to the 25th September. The full supply of fish cannot be caught unless 

 this is done. The Nith should be the same as the Annan. Different close 

 times facilitate poaching. The Cree is an early river ; it is not important to 

 open it later. The run of fish is on till July. The Luce is very late, like the 

 Esk and Annan. 



The Esk should be under a special Act; it is now under both the English 

 and the Scotch law. The close time in Scotland should be fixed by the 

 Scotch without reference to English rivers. 



Stake nets are not legal and never were legal in England. The disease is 

 dying out. The fish became diseased because they had no food and were 

 overcrowded. 



No cure is practicable. It will die out like a plague, in his opinion. 



Never lived on the Tweed. Has heard they have the disease there. The 

 yield of the Tweed has fallen off for 15 years, and the season goes on till 14th 

 September. The great run here in 1877 came in on 20th September, and 

 there was a similar run in the Tweed and Spey. The catches of salmon 

 go in periods ; two or three years are good, and two or three bad. The 

 weather has a great effect on the take. 



The great run of fish caused the fish to be overcrowded, as there was no 

 fishing, and they became emaciated. 



