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There is no power to put hecks at the bottom of the mill leats. This would BERWJCK-ON- 

 be advisable. The owners of mills object to any interference. At Churnsicle TVJEED. 

 paper mill the proprietor pat up a heck on being asked. The fish do not go 

 up the leat, and the heck is repaired annually and kept in order. 



It would be desirable for the provisions of the Scotch Acts on these points 

 to be applied to the Tweed Act. 



The mouth of the Tweed alters slightly every winter. The Harbour Com- 

 missioners can say if there is any permanent alteration in the mouth of the 

 river. 



Approves of burying dead fish. Such work would be part of the experimental 

 powers of the Commissioners. 



The females could not get on to the spawning beds for eight weeks. This 

 would account for the large number of females found unspawned. Thinks 

 they were so weak that they could not go over the caulds. Previously it was 

 the reverse : the dead males were more numerous. 



George L. Pa ulin, Secretary and Manager to the Berwick Salmon Fishing 

 Company. — Has been so for 20 years. Very accurate statistics of the fishery 

 have been kept. His father was manager before him. Never heard of a disease 

 before, and his father never spoke of it. Has had his attention directed to it 

 this year. His waters are quite tidal. No diseased fish was found there 

 before 19th April 1879. On the 20th there was another, and from 19th April 

 to 15th May there were 38 diseased fish. On 23rd May another was taken, but 

 no more till June 9th, when two were found ; on June 18th one ; on June 17th 

 one; making a total of 43 salmon. 21 of them were taken at the mouth of 

 the Whitadder. 



They were all salmon. Saw also three diseased bull-trout ; there may have 

 been one or two other bull-trout, but has a record of only three. 



The salmon were brown and discoloured, with a brownish-red coloured fungus. 

 Agrees with Mr. List's description of the disease. Saw a white mark below 

 the fungus, when it was rubbed off, on one or two fish only. Cannot say if 

 the white mark was caused by the fungus or vice versa. 



Saw one fish with a suppurated head. The fish in the upper fisheries were 

 not worse than in the lower. The water is Salter in parts, and the fewer fish 

 were seen in the Salter water. The fish were not getting well in the salt 

 water. His idea is that the fish were seeking the sea, having been a little 

 time in the fresh water. They were going down. 



Heard Mr. List's evidence as to the gravid females found dead in May. 

 Caught none in his nets. 



Has had no opportunity of seeing belts. His men would hardly have 

 reported them as diseased. Some fishermen have told him of belts with 

 fungus in former years. 



This year is one of the very worst seasons he has known. There was a 

 singular absence of salmon in the river. Has statistics of the number of kelts 

 caught. They were much the same this year as formerly, There was no excessive 

 number of kelts this year. Some of the kelts might have come down later. 

 The kelts coming down in his district are not all seen. Many may go that 

 are never enclosed in his nets. Many kelts are caught 10 or 15 times over. 

 Still if more kelts were there he would have had more caught. 



Has no theory as to the cause of the disease. Has heard all the evidence. 

 The general idea is that there has been an overcrowding of fish in the pools 

 with very little water. Besides this there must be some original cause. 



To prevent the recurrence of the disease the diseased fish should be killed. 

 If near the tideway the fish should be brought down. A certain distance 

 above they should be killed. They may recover, but still they may convey 

 the disease to others. A line should be drawn at Cornhill ; below there the 

 fish might all come down or might be brought down. Above this they should 

 be killed if they could not be brought down. 



A very large quantity of fish go up in September. The greatest take of 

 fish in his early days was in July and August. Now it is in August and 

 September. The fish are later. There is a great decrease of grilse. The fish 

 going up at the end of September are in good order and quite saleable ; they 

 deteriorate in the pools above, an el do not spawn, and die. The fish decrease 

 in weight as they lie in fresh water. Fish will decrease in weight 1 lb. m th^ 

 pools in the tideway. In 1863 he found that (there being no rain for six 



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