43 



Has seen the disease on gold fish in a bowl. KELSO. 



When fish are buried they should be placed above the highest water mark. 



There are nearly always worms in kelts' gills. Does not think this has 

 anything to do with the disease. Most kelts have them. 



Saw one or two fish lying about this year, but was taken ill and could not 

 observe them. Believes the disease is the same as that formerly observed. 



Thomas Tod Stoddart, Bellevue, Kelso. — Has known the Tweed for 12 

 years. Is well acquainted with the Tweed and other Scotch rivers. The 

 disease is of long standing ; dates it back to the time he has resided here. It 

 has been more virulent owing to certain causes lately. Refers to the fungus 



and spots. 



Has an Annual Register dating back 100 years, which shows that a disease 

 was among the haddocks in the Firth of Forth ; only three haddocks were 

 caught. The haddocks alone were affected. 



(Hands in a paper on the disease — published by Mm in 1872. It is as follows : — ) 

 " The annual mortality among the salmon has begun at an unusually early 

 " period to develop itself in this locality. On Wednesday last (February 7th 

 " 1872) we took a stroll, accompanied by a friend, on the banks of Tweed 

 " at St. James' Green, where the pool called the Putt, headed by the Income 

 " Stream, is situated. The range of water is not more than the third of a 

 " mile in length, if so much— yet in this comparatively short stretch we 

 " descried hugging the edge no fewer than ten dead salmon. But for the size 

 " of the river and its discoloured state we might have detected more ; but ten 

 " on one side of a single pool, at the opening of the rod-fishings, was in itself 

 " a formidable number, and certainly is calculated to call forth apprehension 

 " as to the quality of the water we are using for domestic purposes. On our 

 " return from this discovery, we met the gentleman who holds, among other 

 " offices, the position of clerk to the Tweed Commissioners, and on comnmni- 

 " eating the fact to him, authority was instantly given to one of the river 

 " police, who happened to be passing at the time, to take the fish from the 

 " river by means of rake-hooks. This was accordingly done in our presence. 

 " The first fish taken out was a half-spawned kipper of about 22 lbs. It had 

 " kin for some days in the river. The cause of its death was probably old 

 " age, as there were no marks of violence on its body. The next was a 

 " kelt or newly soawned female of 12 lbs. Judging from the eyes and gills, it 

 " had died recently. There was a large button mark, as it is termed, on its 

 " breast, and a good deal of scarification below it, the result, probably, of 

 " attrition while on the spawning bed. There were also diseased marks about 

 " the tail, but the flesh was red. and might have looked wholesome in the 

 " hands of an adept in the art of cooking it up, which many of the poaching 

 " community are. Four fish, averaging 16 lbs. a-piece were then abstracted. 

 " They had evidently been in the river for more than a week, and were verging 

 " towards the stage of putrefaction. Two of them were kippers, having the 

 " milt lobes unbroken, but apparently diseased. But long immersion m the 

 " water may have occasioned this appearance. The next fish was a, female 

 " of 12 lbs. in weight, the ova, with the exception of some loose particles, dis- 

 " charged. Death in this case, it could easily be seen, the subject being 

 " a fresh one, had resulted from internal inflammation. Of the three other 

 " salmon taken out with the rake-hooks, one was in a state of most offensive 

 " putridity. They were all male fish. The largest might have weighed about 

 " 24 lbs. It was handsomely and powerfully formed ; and the only indication 

 " of disease presented by it was in connexion with the milt and liver." 



Went 14 or 15 years ago to St. Boswell's, and saw diseased fish there. 

 One year, when fishing below the cauld at Pinnacle Hill saw several dis- 

 eased fish in Sprouston Water. There was a sort of rabies among them. 

 They were rushing about as if distracted with pain, skimming along the surface 

 of the water. 



This is no new disease, but an aggravated form of the old disease. 



A combination of circumstances assisted to aggravate the disease. Although 

 . it has appeared in the Eden and other pure rivers, a number of circumstances 

 may combine to assist the virulence of the disease. 



At one time anglers were allowed to kill kelts. Now they may not do so. 

 Water bailiffs should always remove kelts. Many people have been severely 

 fined for taking out kelts. 



