11 



It was kippered, and ate perfectly well. It was an external disease. The ^rt^htP" 



fish was being twisted round. It was above the old bridge. Has not seen 



kelts affected so. This was a clean fish. 



Had formed no opinion then. Has not observed any diseased fish since. 

 This year he had one instance of a fish with a brown spot near the tail. It 

 may have been fungus. Observed no filaments. It corresponded with the 

 spot 18 years ago. The fish have been healthy in the interval. There was no 

 disease in 1877-8-9. The disease is often ascribed to scabs on kelts in the 

 spring, which arise from fighting. This scab is often produced in this way, 

 but it is not disease. The sores so caused are different from the specimens 

 produced of Saproleynia ferax. Never saw anything fleecy or flocky on the 

 fish. Much so-called disease arises from biting and fighting, and injuries on 

 rocks. 



There has been an average stock of fish this season in the river, but never 

 fewer killed, owing to floods. 



The disease might exist in salt water. The fish referred to was a clean-run 

 fish. It would not have got the disease in the fresh water. It was a fat, 

 plump, bright fish. 



Knows of no disease in the Cree, Bladenoch, Urr, &c. There has been 

 scarcely any disease in the Dee since 18 years ago. 



A purer stream cannot be found. Kirkcudbright discharges its sewage into 

 the Dee, but it makes no difference. Knows of only one polluted tributary of 

 the Dee. 



Has no idea what is the cause of the disease. It is like cholera among men 

 or rinderpest in cattle. 



Does not think it can be carried by birds from one river to another. 



The Dee has neither improved nor got worse the last few years. It is well 

 stocked in the upper waters. The upper waters were full this season. 



Does not think the disease is due to overcrowding. Fifty years a<jo there 

 were five or six fish to one now, and no disease then. The Dee was better 

 stocked then than the Nith now. 



The fish he refers to was dead when he found it. It was 200 yards above 

 high watermark. It was lying with its head on the bottom and the tail oat of 

 water. This was an odd fact, but was due to a sort of whirlpool. It would 

 have lain flat in still water. 



It had a brown spot on the frontal bone. Does not know anything about a 

 white spot except on kelts wounded from fighting. The white spots can be 

 seen on any kelts. The brown spot was a disease and was fatal ; the white 

 spot is temporary. Did not cvit into the fish that had the brown spot this 

 year. The flesh was soft. Never saw a fish that had been killed by dynamite, 

 but the brown spot could not, he thinks, have been caused by an explosion. 



The close time is from 1 1th February to 26th August. Many fish run up 

 after 26th August. The preservation in the upper beds has been very good, 

 and poaching is nearly abolished. Has watched fish on the spawning beds. 



Has heard that there were fewer fish up last year. It is reported that there 

 are more fish this season than for 20 years, on account of the floods. In March 

 and April this year the river was occasionally high ; it was not particularly low, 

 except in July, when it was very low. 



Loch Ken is about 14 miles by river from the sea. It is four miles long, and 

 in some parts a half to three-quarters of a mile wide. Does not know the 

 depth. The salmon spawn a long way above it, and also spawn below it. 



Loch Ken acts as a reservoir. "Without it the Dee would be worthless. 

 The fish below always feel the influence of the water from the lake. The Ken 

 has one fourth of the whole of the fish in the river, another fourth spawn 

 about Hein sol in the Blackwater of the Dee. Does not think the disease is 

 prevented by the abundance of water in the Ken. Above Loch Ken the river 

 runs very rapidly. It is rocky and gravelly with pools. The water is 

 peaty. 



There are a good many sea trout, but not one-tenth of what there used to 

 be. Has not seen them diseased. The sea trout have fallen off because the 

 Dill-dawn Burn is grown over with grass, and it.was the best spawning ground. 

 The stream was diverted by the late Dr. Cowen. 



The fry were eaten by jackdaws and gulls when left dry by the diversion of 

 the water. Tina was 10 years ago. 



