38 



MELROSE. 



was a sort of scurf. This year all fish, male and female, spawned and unspawned, 

 are affected with fungus. Formerly only a scurf was visible. First heard of 

 it about the end of February 1879, from Kelso and Melrose, and also heard of 

 it near Ettrickmouth about the same time, a distance of about 25 miles. It after- 

 wards appeared both above and below these points. The highest point at which 

 he has heard of disease is Biggar Water, 12 miles above Peebles. There was 

 only one fish seen there. There were not many above Walkerburn dam. In 

 Peeblesshire there were four fish badly diseased below the dam. It appeared 

 about the same time there as elsewhere. Received instructions to bury all 

 fish, both dead and dying. 



[Hands in return offish buried by him, in May and June 1879.] 

 It is as follows : — 



The return does not distinguish between clean and unclean fish. A full 

 return is printed in the Report of the Tweed Commissioners. A large pro- 

 portion of fish were diseased. Many more died. These are reported because 

 all could not be secured that were seen floating down beyond reach. 



Last winter the river and tributaries were frozen close over from 13th to 

 30th December. There were a few fish up before then, and they were driven 

 down to the pools by the frost, while in the middle of spawning. A fresh 

 came on 30th December and lasted a week, but all through January the river 

 was frozen over again. The fish got on the redds in February, two months 

 behind time. The fish became unhealthy. Much ova must have been 

 deposited in the beds. This retarding of the spawning season would help 

 disease. 



Late in autumn there were very few nice floods. The fish did not get away 

 freely. There was a deficiency of water. 



Scraped off some fungus. In the early stages of the disease all fish had 

 fungus, under which there was inflammation of the scales. The fungus was the 

 cause of the disease. The flesh underneath was not affected, nor were the 

 internal organs. The kelts were most diseased, because they were most 

 numerous, and they were more liable to disease. The hen-fish were most 

 liable. There were 22 females to one male in the fish buried. In former years 

 chiefly kippers were affected. In former years many were partly spent fish. 

 The clean fish were affected this year by infection. Does not know if in 

 previous years it was infectious. 



Would take out all dead and dying fish. Diseased fish in the upper part of 

 the river cannot easily reach the sea, but in the lower parts they might easily 

 reach the sea, where they would recover. It is a river disease. 



It would not be difficult to bury all diseased fish. 



In previous years there were not too many kelts. 



In February and March the fish principally spawned. In April there was a 

 slight flood. In May there were no floods, and the fish could not get down, and 

 died. With the floods after May the disease disappeared among both fresh- 

 water and migratory fish. Has seen two diseased fish since June. 



