75 



By overcrowding refers principally to salmonidce. EDINBURGH. 



Observations should be made on rivers where dams absolutely exclude 



salmon, in order to see if the trout are affected by the transfer of the poison 

 from other head waters. 



The Leithen was formerly blocked completely. Understands it is so still. It 

 would, therefore, answer for experiments. So would the upper Clyde. 



If the S.ferax is present in all waters, it might break out in the Leithen. 

 If it does not break out there, it is proved that the fungus is absent, and is not 

 brought there. 



Wishes it to be tested whether the disease on the spring kelts is the true 

 Saprolegnia or not. 



Human infectious diseases may always be met with here and there, and from 

 certain causes one of them breaks out as an epidemic, and affects healthy as 

 well as weak people. When it begins to break out, it is first among the weaker 

 subjects, and spreads to all. Cannot say if the sporadic cases of disease among 

 human beings are confined to unhealthy people. , 



If a river exists where kelts are always attacked, and clean fish not, an 

 explanation should be arrived at by experiment. Does not ; however, believe in 

 the exemption of clean fish. 



Would make experiments as to overcrowding by confining fish in a stream 

 where there is plenty of good water and food. 



Thinks the absence of the spores from the Forth and Spey might account for 

 the absence of disease there, though in other circumstances these rivers may 

 be similar to the Tweed, but there are no obstructions, and very little pollution. 

 Cannot think pollution will account for the disease ; but it may favour it. 



Andrew Greg Anderson, fish merchant, Edinburgh. — Has been in 

 business for 25 years. Has fished on the Forth, and Tweed, and on the Conon 

 for six years, and on the Dee in Kirkcudbright. There has been very little 

 disease on the Dee. Has seen six salmon from the Tweed diseased. Ex- 

 amined them. They were as if the scales had been burned by a hot iron. They 

 were yellow underneath, and had white spots on the front of the nose. There 

 was no fungus. Has only seen fungus on one fish brought to him by Sir 

 Robert Christison. 



The fungus has nothing to do with the disease. The fungus gets on the 

 fish when they are weak, and there is no current of water. Never saw it 

 before. But saw disease on the tail of a salmon in 1S75. It was a disease on 

 the lower part of the tail fin, which was eaten away up to the point of the tail. 

 It looked as if small barnacles were along the edge of the fin. It was a clean 

 fish. It was a distinct disease from the present. There were no marks on the 

 body or the head. 



The first instance he saw this year was in a salmon from the Eden, brought 

 by Sir Robert Christison. 



Has seen two similar fish taken at Largo in the sea in bag-nets. They had 

 come from the deep sea. Thinks they may contract the disease in the sea. 

 Thinks most of them had the disease in the sea. They were totally covered 

 with marks, but had no fungus. 



Salt water does not therefore cure the disease. There may be one disease in 

 the salt water, and one in fresh water. Largo is 20 miles below Queensferry. 

 The nearest river is the Leven. This is 1| miles from the nets. Thinks the 

 fish had not come back from fresh water. The disease was just commencing. 



Got two salmon for the aquarium here, one was alive for a fortnight. A 

 few scales were injured, and in a fortnight it was covered with disease from 

 head to tail. There were some trout there in the same tank, and they were not 

 touched. 



The only river near his nets is the Leven. 



There is not so much pollution as formerly. The vinegar works are bad 

 from the vitriol. Pollutions have nothing to do with the disease. 



Craigforth cruive stops the fish ; every winter it is partly broken. Fish 

 cannot get up in the winter except in flood. There is a fine spawning bed below 

 the dyke. 



Saw only two fish diseased from the Forth. 



