41 



Examined the roe. The spawn was half white and half red. The majority 

 of the eggs were getting white. Somebody tried to cure the roe, but it did not 

 cure. 



Robert Hall, ironmonger, Secretary to the Galashiels Angling Club. — Has 

 known the Tweed since boyhood. The association is for trout fishing. Has no 

 idea of the cause of the disease. Has caught salmon and trout. Does not 

 see any necessity for a trout close time in the Tweed. 



The' diseased fish should be taken out and buried. Would have no objec- 

 tion to kelts being made legal after 15th April. There is no overstocking. The 

 pollutions have nothing to do with it. 



Trout are now running to spawn, and will spawn in October and November. 

 The trout were diseased in great numbers this season, till the salmon left the 

 water. 



A friend of his had some sticklebacks in an aquarium which became diseased. 

 He found he had put stones from the Tweed into the aquarium. The stickle- 

 backs were caught about July. His friend thought he had got the disease on 

 the plants from the Tweed. They were long weeds, 10 or 12 feet long. 



The Tweed has far more vegetation than formerly. 



Many leaves fall into the river in the winter. Never saw any sediment from 

 the leaves. 



J. Thorburn, fisherman, Juniper Bank, Walkerburn. — Has known the 

 Tweed for 30 years. Has seen more or less of disease for 10 or 15 years. The 

 disease this year is an aggravated kind of a former disease, with more fungus. 

 The disease has been both above and below the clam. There are lots of salmon 

 above. Never saw disease any year till after the fish had been on the spawn- 

 ing beds a considerable time. This year they were mostly spawned fish. 

 — kelts. There was nothing particular this year to account for the disease, 

 unless the increased pollution has led to it. 



The pollution is double what it was in 1874. The fish will catch the disease 

 when the ! water is low. Wool-scouring sends turpentine, sulphur, arsenic, 

 spirits of tar, and black soap into the river. This comes from the wool in the 

 wool works. Thinks there are no spores of disease in the wool. The fish get 

 unhealthy through pollution. His remedy is a new Pollution Act. The 

 scouring water comes in all day, and every day. It is perceptible five miles 

 below the mills. It has increased very much lately. The fact that there are 

 rivers affected by disease without pollution is against his idea. No steps are 

 taken in his district under the Pollution Act. Innerleithen has turned its 

 pollution (town sewage) into the Tweed within the last two years. 



Nothing has been done to Walkerburn ; no water passes down the river ; it 

 is dry for two miles. 



The lade supplies two mills. 



Mr. Ballantyne has had filtering tubs built, but they are not cleaned out. 



Peter Paterson. — Has known the Dryburgh and Maxwell waters for 

 14 years. First saw the disease in the middle of May. Before then got 

 three baggits and cut them up. The spawn was getting bad. He buried them. 

 Has had no kelts diseased this season, but had some clean fish and opened 

 them. Found nothing in them. The clean fish had the face eaten into down to 

 the bone. The blotches on the skin did not penetrate. The disease was on the 

 skin. Kept a river trout, and it got through. It got worse and worse till a 

 good flood, when it mended. The second flood took it up. The sea trout 

 have also been diseased,and also minnows, eels, and all fish. 



It is a new disease. It appears on the heads of the clean fish. Thought 

 many of the kippers had been scratched. The spot gets on the clean fish, and 

 is followed by fungus. 



The dirty water may have something to do with it. 



The fish should be taken out and buried. Has buried eight since May. 

 Sent one to his master, who tried some fungus on the wings of a fly, and it ate 

 away the wings of the fly. 



The hard winter may have had something to do with it. The three baggits 

 he spoke of had not spawned. The flesh of the fish sent to his master was 

 quite good. 



Alexander Purdie. — There should be a proper slap in the caulds to cany 

 down the kelts. Fishermen might drive down the kelts to the sea. Observa- 

 tion should be made of the state of the water in May. 



MELftOSE. 



