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CORNHILL- exchange for another month's fishing in the autumn. The men ere would 

 ON-TWEED. benefit, as the Berwick nets would let the fish up to them. 



Thomas Sly. — Does not agree as to altering the close season. The present 

 close season is right. All kelts should be killed. 



James Gray, fisherman, Lennel Newtown, Coldstream.— Has been a 

 fisherman on the Tweed for 46 years, and is at present employed on a fishery 

 five miles from Kelso. Has seen about 40 dead and dying fish at that part of 

 the river in about half a mile of water. The most part were spring salmon : 

 saw grayling, fresh-water trout, smolts, eels, and some kelts. Examined the 

 salmon carefully, and found fungus on the head, fins, and tail. Found the 

 skin and flesh eaten away to the bone on the head. Found the gills full of 

 slime, and unhealthy : the liver of a greenish yellow colour, and much 

 diseased. All other entrails were healthy looking. Found the flesh quite 

 good. 



Noticed_ in February a great many of the spring salmon had the upper part 

 of their tails worn off, and with a bloody and inflamed appearance. Noticed 

 a whitish spot on the point of the nose about the size of a thumb nail. 



Believes that the fish having got hurt in some way, the unhealthy state of 

 the river in April and May caused the disease to come on the fish. As soon 

 as the river became flooded in June, there was no more disease to be seen. 



_ Does not believe that overstocking the river has anything to do with the 

 disease, as it is not the same disease as that which autumn fish die of. 



Formerly saw a great many more kelts in the river than he has seen this 

 year, and a great many more dead autumn fish, but never saw the spring fish 

 die as they did this year. Used to see some spring fish dead, but not through 

 the disease like this year. 



William Scott, fisherman. — Agrees with William Johnston's evidence. 

 Thinks the disease is due to overstocking at this time of year. The fish going 

 up in September and October are not spawning fish, and most of them die 

 unspawned during the winter. Has seen them and opened them. 



Agrees to the proposal as to the alteration of the weekly and annual close 

 seasons. 



_ All kelts should be killed. There has always been plenty of big fish. The 

 big fish came up formerly, but were not caught, as fishing only went on to 

 7th October. 



James Scott, brother to previous witness. — Has heard what his brother has 

 said, and agrees with him. 



James Easton, Tillmouth. — Agrees with the evidence and corroborates 

 William Johnston. 



William Swan, Twizell. — Agrees with the evidence, and has nothing to 

 add to it. 



John Swan, fisherman, Twizell. — Agrees with the foregoing evidence, and 

 has nothing further to say. 



William Malcolm, fisherman. — The salt water comes up about 12 miles, 

 as far as Northam, six miles from here. Has seen diseased fish. The cause 

 of it is that the fish are too long in the fresh water. They are perhaps five or 

 six months in the fresh water. They would bring a deal of money if they were 

 killed. The fish begin to decay directly they are in fresh water. 



The disease is contagious. Last year many clean fish went up and caught 

 the disease from the fish in the river. 



William Robson.— Has known the Tweed for 60 years. Has seen 

 diseased fish in the spring for 40 years. They were all kelts. Never saw the 

 clean fish affected till this year. It is a distinct disease this year. Has seen 

 a few clean salmon diseased from mixing with the kelts. Has seen white spots 

 about the nose. Has seen the spots in the earlier stages without fungus. The 

 fungus follows the disease. 



The length of the winter has caused the 'disease. The winter began in 

 November, and lasted till the beginning of February. Never remembers any- 

 thing of the kind before. It was twice as long as an ordinary season. 



A combination of causes has led to the disease. Insect life abounds in all 

 rivers, but this year the fish could get no food, and got st arved. At Cloven 

 Ford could see salmon, 20 lbs. in weight, just falling down, quite listless, and 

 without any motion. 



