87 



William Lawson, gamekeeper to Captain Hamilton, of Pinmore. — Has GIRVAN. 

 known the middle reaches of the Stinchar for 40 years. The fishing has 

 desperate^ fallen off. There is not one fish for many before. 



Saw one fish diseased. It had the whole head as if a white nightcap had 

 been put over it. This was on the 1st April 1880. Never saw anything like 

 it before. It is quite a new thing. Only saw this one. Cannot say if it was 

 a kelt. It was in a pool for a week, and seemed to be getting better, as black 

 spots appeared on the head and the white seemed to be going away. 



Dirty water and sheep dipping have something to do with it. Sheep clips 

 and the salmon disease have come at the same time. Sheep dips are now used 

 regularly. 



There is no overstock, nor one-third of a stock, in the Stinchar. There is not 

 one fish for 20 formerly. 



Never heard of anything like the disease before. Two or three other fish 

 have been got. Saw five or six good fish in a pool, and they had nothing the 

 matter with them. 



There is often a gravel bar at the mouth of the Stinchar washed up by the 

 sea. Not a fish gets up till a spate comes down and clears it away. It is as 

 high as a house, and lasts often for weeks. This has always been so. The 

 fishermen gather the smolts into baskets and put them into the sea. 



Findlay's Hotel, Colmonell, near Girvan, Wednesday, 

 April 21st, 1880. 



Present : 

 Spencer Walpole and Archibald Young, Esquires. 



James Galloway, keeper to Mr. McConnell. — Has known the Stinchar 

 for 23 years. Has always seen fish with scabs and scars among the kelts in 

 the spring. [Photograph of diseased fish produced.'] 



Has seen something like the fish in the photograph with white blisters on 

 the back, but with nothing growing on it. The scabs were a little swelled up 

 above the skin. Has seen it for many years. The scabs were along the back 

 of the kelts. The fish were dead. Has seen nothing diiferent from that this 

 year ; but has seen fewer scabby fish. The fish altogether are scarcer in the 

 river than they have been for 15 years at least. Has seen no more disease. 

 Mr. Hamilton's keeper told him of a diseased fish. 



The nets at the mouth of the Stinchav are too near the mouth of the river. 

 They are within 300 yards. 



The Stinchar is very pure. There are very few dams on it, and no obstruc- 

 tions to prevent fish running up. Has no idea of the cause of what he has 

 seen. 



John Logan. — Has been on the Stinchar all his days. Agrees with the 

 previous witness. Has seen diseased fish all his days. Formerly the river 

 took longer to rise and fall than now. Saw a grilse with white spots as if it 

 had been hurt, like new scabs corning over a wound. There was no growth 

 upon it. 



Peter Laurie, coachman to Mr. McKinnon. — Last season, about June 1879, 

 Mr. McKinnon took a grilse, well made up, with a spot on the right aide, 

 looking whitish, something like the fish in the photograph. 



The^keeper and he found a fish of 30 lbs. this year— a kelt— completely 

 covered with whites. It was nearly dead, and had its skin covered with some- 

 thing like cotton wool. Never saw one as bad before, but saw plenty not so 

 bad, marked across the back. This was a month ago. A flood took the fish 

 down. 



Thomas Campbell, keeper to Mr. McKinnon. — SaAv the fish referred to 

 by previous witness. 



Has fished the river Minnock for the Marquis of AiJsa, and there was 

 scarcely a day but he saw fish similarly affected. 



