40 



MELROSE. it has gradually fallen off. Overstocking cannot be the cause of the 

 disease. 



The river is not so polluted as formerly. The pollutions have nothing to do 

 with it. 



Think it is a parasite, and the fungus is secondary. It is a parasite, some- 

 thing like ringworm. It is a new thing to him. 



Fish were formerly speared more than now. The people used to eat kelts. 

 Is 6/ years of age. Remembers kelts being speared. It used to be done before 

 1856. Both male and female fish were killed. The kelts have fallen off 

 every year since then. The floods used to last much longer then, owing to 

 drainage. 20 years ago the fish could travel a week, but now they often cannot 

 go more than 24 hours. The fish have to come up the river by stages. 

 When the river is in flood the caulds cannot be seen. 

 Drainage began 30 years ago. 



There are a great deal fewer fish than formerly. When he was a boy the 

 close time was shorter than now. 



The nets at the bottom are a cowardly way of catching fish. 

 Robert Honeyman, fisherman, Bemerside. — Has fished for 19 years. Saw 

 the disease first on 24th April 18/9. Has observed a different disease in 

 former years. It is a distinct disease now. 



Has examined diseased fish ; found no internal mark ; everything inside 

 was first-rate. All the fish he saw were clean salmon, except one sea trout kelt. 

 Took six altogether. There were no sores. They were all seized in the left eye. 

 There was a little inflammation and a small tumour over the eye. When the 

 disease got older they had a scar above the tail. 

 The sore was quite external. The fish were blind on one side. 

 Has not seen clean salmon with the mouth and gills diseased. Only speaks 

 of Bemerside waters. All had the same appearance. One had a bare scalp 

 with no fungus. The sore on the eye had no fungus. The fungus comes 

 after the sore. Has not seen it before. Has not opened diseased fish. 



On June 5th and 6th took three fish. The last fish he saw was on the 15th 

 June. It looks as if the disease would die out. The cause will be sought in 

 vain. It is like the potato disease. 



Many baggits are killed in the Tweed in November by anglers. 

 The Tweed is a late river : angling should go on all the season. Kelts 

 should be preserved ; but baggits should be killed. There can be too many 

 baggits. Took 28 kippers and two baggits in 1878. They were unspawned 

 fish, and they were buried. Some seasons they fight. 



The disease is quite distinct from anything ever seen before. 

 Would suggest that after March all kippers and baggits coming up the 

 Tweed should be taken out. They come up in March to spawn, and turn up 

 the beds made by other fish two minutes before. The first lot of eggs will be 

 destroyed before being hatched. 



Saw a small fry on Saturday with inflammation in the vent. 

 There is a great run of fish now. The first one was caught on 15th June. 

 They are very red now — as red as foxes. 



David Johnstone, fisherman, Dryburgh. — Has heard the previous 

 evidence. Has seen many cases of disease. Saw it 50 or 60 years ago. Thinks 

 the disease formerly seen may be the same as that now. The appearance of 

 the fish is much the same. Inclines to think it as an aggravated form of the 

 old disease. 



Robert Pringle, Galashiels. — Has been a fisherman all his days. Has 

 seen the disease a good deal this winter. Never saw it so bad. Used to see 

 kippers and odd fish now and then affected with white and yellow spots. Did 

 not pay so much attention to it as now. It is a new disease to him now. Saw 

 it in the close time. 



Saw foul fish very early in January unspawned at Galashiels, diseased on 

 the head and all parts, and the fish were killed and sold. 

 Never took fish with clicks. 



The first fish he saw was taken out, he thinks, about Eldon foot. All that he 

 saw were diseased. 



Thinks the cause was' the confinement of the fish into pools. Most of 

 the fish he saw were unspawned baggits. The first fish he saw was a kipper. 

 Could hardly see its head from being covered with white. 



