46 



KBLSO. on old kelts formerly but not to the same extent as now. The fish formerly 



did not exhibit the same suffering as this year. Has seen some with fungus 



and some without. The fungus was the same as in former years. There has 

 always been fungus in the Tweed, and it has fastened on wounded kipper 

 fish. The old fungus has fastened on a new disease. 



Has seen perch, eels, and all fish diseased this year, never before. Has 

 also seen it more on clean fish. This year it attacked clean fish more than 

 kelts. Means the fish from the sea; does not mean fish that have been long 

 in the river. They were strong healthy fish. The state of their constitution 

 would not predispose to disease. 



Has opened many diseased fish. Found the liver all gone or diseased and 

 light in colour. The gut was slightly inflamed. The ovaries seemed all right 

 and contained immature ova. The flesh was all right to a certain extent but 

 blackened below the surface. This blackened mark extended a good bit 

 below. Has opened a good few diseased fish. They were all diseased in 

 the liver, &c. The disease attacks them inside first ; it is an internal 

 disease. 



Was on the Tweed last winter. It was uncommonly frosty. The frost 

 began before Christmas. There was more snow water after Christmas. 

 There was not a great run of fish, and there were also fewer in the autumn. 



The Tweed is not overcrowded. Snow and ice continued very late. After 

 the ice got away the fish spawned. Observed unspawned fish late in the 

 spring. Has always seen this. The water was not low. There was plenty of 

 water to take the fish away. The kelts were fewer. There were fewer fish up 

 in the autumn. There was more water than usual. 



First saw the disease in the spring fish after February. There had been a 

 few kelts before, but the kelts this year were more distressed. Thinks the kelts 

 were first affected, and that they affected the spring fish. The disease is quite 

 different from what he observed formerly. It is a new disease. The last 

 diseased fish he saw was in the middle of June. 



It is a river disease. It has now (October) disappeared. There may be 

 something in the atmosphere to cause it. It may pass off. 



Believes that pollutions are a very bad thing. The Tweed is very polluted 

 at Sprouston by town sewage. Much of it comes from Kelso. Thinks the 

 disease is partly due to pollutions. Has heard of the disease in rivers with no 

 pollutions. The Tweed pollutions are increasing. 20 years ago could see 

 pure water 50 or 60 feet deep. It is now always discoloured. All the dye from 

 Galashiels and Hawick come down. It is offensive to the smell in summer, 

 but the fish are not in the water then to get diseased. 



All the disease has now disappeared. Last saw a clean fish affected in June. 

 The river is clear of disease now. 



The pollutions should all be abolished. It is a pity to spoil the Tweed from 

 a sanitary as well as from a fishery point of view. 



It is an epidemic disease. 



Some steps may be taken to stop it. Kelts and kippers have always been 

 affected. Would never kill a kelt, or else there would be no big fish in the 

 autumn. If the amendment in the law had not been made, the size of fish 

 would not have been increased. But dead fish should be buried; it could 

 easily be done. Fish should be taken out if affected the least bit. Does not 

 know if salt is a cure. Thinks fresh water during a flood would not cure a 

 diseased fish after it had reached a certain state. 



Many kelts have died. Expects the quantity of fish in the autumn will be 

 reduced in consequence. 



The pollutions are a great cause of disease. The Forth may be affected after 

 all, though diseased fish have not been observed in it. 



Thinks all fish are affected here — pike, perch, grayling, eels. Sea trout 

 were not so bad as salmon kelts. Fresh run sea trout also had it. It was 

 not very bad among common trout, but they all were slightly affected. 



It would be better if there were more water for the fish. In 1868 there 

 were 10 clean salmon in the water to one in 1879, and there was no disease. 



Fish of all kinds collected together at certain times may predispose to 

 disease. When the river was frozen there was plenty of water. There is 

 nothing like plenty of water. The disease would have broken out long ago 

 if it were due to overstocking. 



