69 



Whitadder mouth killed them, so the company did the same. In the following BERWICK-ON- 

 season there was an immense increase of fish. This would be 40 or 50 years TWEED, 

 ago. 1 hey ceased to kill the kelts, and the fishing fell oh:. Some years after- 

 wards the kelts were again killed, and in the year following the take of fish 

 increased. Cannot say if the post hoc is a propter hoc. Experiments have been 

 made to see if the bull-trout kelts returned ; but no bull-trout kelts have 

 ever been caught after returning. Instituted experiments with Mr. Paxton 

 in 1850. Marked a lot of black fin and orange fin smolts, and five per cent, of 

 the black fins were recovered in 1851. 



None of the fish that were marked as orange fins were recovered ; if 

 they had returned they ought to have been found marked. 

 There is no evidence that the kelts ever returned. 



Would allow fish to pass over the caulds. This could be done with the 

 consent of the proprietors. Invented the secondary dam principle 40 years 

 ago in the Till. 



The later fish destroy the spawning beds of the earlier schools. 

 To prohibit the sale of kelts is to deprive the public of a large amount of 

 food. 



Would propose that kelts should be killed, but that possession of baggits 

 should be more severely punished. 



In section 72 of the Act of 1857 a provision exists to recover penalties before 

 county courts. 



The Act of 185/ was passed under a misapprehension. 



Attributes the disease to the fish remaining long in the river before the 

 spawning season. The overcrowding of the kelts would also predispose to 

 disease. The early fish wait to get over the pools, and cannot get up; but the 

 later fish get up and spawn without delay. 



Cannot say if snow-broth has more oxygen than rain-water. Thinks the 

 freezing of water does not remove the oxygen. 



W. Holmes, fish merchant, Berwick. — If he owned the Tweed he would 

 not fish the Tweed till 15th March ; and would go on to 15th October at least. 

 Would kill trout all the winter in the small rivulets, and sell t nem on *' ie con- 

 tinent. Would apply the produce to defraying the expen geg of watching the 

 Tweed. Would allow rod fishing all the year round. 



If trout kelts are not killed the grilse will be extinguished. The olden 

 times should be recurred to. The baggits should not be killed ; but killing the 

 kelts might be made legal. 



R. B. Weatherhead {recalled). — Agrees to fishing all the year with the 

 rod under certain restrictions. 



Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, Friday, October 3rd, 1879. 



Present : 



Frank Buckland, Spencer Walpole, and Archibald Young, 



Esquires. 



George Muirhead, factor to several estates in Berwickshire. — Has known 

 the lower portion of the Whitadder for nine years. It is chiefly a bull-trout 

 river, and also has some common trout. Has never seen salmon in it. The 

 fishing for river-trout has fallen oft' for ten years, owing to the number of bull- 

 trout which prey on the fry. This is the general view among anglers. Yester- 

 day he was told that the take had fallen from 10 trout in an average day's 

 fishing six years ago to 6 trout a day now. The trout fishing in the YV hitadder 

 would be improved by destroying the bull-trout. The Tweed Commissioners 

 should have power to net the bull-trout. 



Has seen diseased bull-trout with a fungoid growth on the head. First saw 

 it in 1877, about the end of April or beginning of May. Saw it on bull-trout 

 in the water. The trout used to come to the side of the water, and were milky- 

 white about the head. Did not catch any, but thinks it is the same disease as 

 that amono- the salmon. There were whitish spots on the head and neck. 



