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with the wear-shot net between 40 and 50 clean salmon and sea trout affected by BERWKgjON- 

 the disease. From their appearance they had all been in the water for a con- l __ 

 siderable time. Has observed several diseased clean fish floating or swimming 

 down the river, tail foremost, and near the surface of. the water. 



Has never seen a diseased fish attempting to go up the river. The diseased 

 fish, when handled, have a slimy feel, whereas a fish direct from the sea is not 

 slimy. It is natural for a kelt to drop down the river, and for a spring fish to 

 go up. But this year the spring fish are dropping down the river towards the 

 salt water. Thinks that this is owing to the fungoid disease with which they 

 are affected. Is of opinion that the disease is a river disease. Never saw the 

 disease on clean salmon before this year. 



Thomas Swan, fisherman, Twizel. — Fishes with the wear-shot net. " Has 

 this year landed between 20 and 30 diseased clean fish, chiefly salmon. They 

 had all been some time in the river. Has frequently seen diseased clean 

 salmon swimming down the river with their heads at times above the water, 

 but has never seen any such fish going up the river. Salmon which have been 

 for some time in the fresh water are much darker in colour than fish direct 

 from the sea. Is of opinion that these diseased spring fish had gone some 

 distance up the river, and were on their way down to the sea when caught in 

 the nets. Both kelts and clean fish are now diseased. 



First saw clean spring-run fish diseased last year. The spring fish used 

 formerly to remain for some months in the river ; now they are leaving it and 

 going down much earlier. Thinks the disease weakens the fish and drives 

 them down to the salt water. Some of the diseased fish seemed, from their 

 silvery appearance, to have been only about three weeks from the salt water. 

 Thinks the disease is worse on the spring fish than on the kelts. River trout, 

 grayling, and smolts have all been attacked this year. 



Thinks the pollution of the river is the cause, or one of the causes, of the 

 disease. 



John Bolton, fisherman, Norham. — Fishes at Westford fishery. Has 

 seen five clean salmon and four clean trout landed with the net there, all 

 diseased. Caught two or three of them when they were dropping down the 

 river, tail foremost, and near the surface of the water. In ordinary states of 

 the river the salmon ascend at a low cauld, known as Westford Dike. This 

 year has caught several clean fish after passing over the dike. None of them 

 were diseased. Never saw or heard of diseased fish coming up over the dike. 

 None of the diseased clean fish had the appearance of having come direct from 

 the sea. Has no doubt they contracted the disease in the river. It is a fresh- 

 water disease. 



Has observed that the heads of the spring salmon are more severely affected 

 by the disease than the heads of kelts. First noticed the disease in the clean 

 spring-run fish last year. Both last year and this year they left the river 

 earlier than usual. Believes the disease to be the cause of this. 



Thomas Scott, fisherman, Birgham. — Fishes at Wark fishery. During 

 the months of March and April last, landed more than a dozen diseased clean 

 fish, chiefly salmon. Cannot say whether they had been much farther up the 

 river ; but from their appearance they seemed to have been in the river for 

 some time. Has seen a good many dead and dying clean fish, with their heads 

 diseased, lying at the side of the river. Has never seen a diseased fish which 

 seemed to be fresh from the sea. Has occasionally seen undiseased clean fish 

 dropping down the river in company with kelts. 



This year and last year saw diseased spring fish dropping down the river. 

 The river is now not half as clear as it used to be. Cannot see half so far 

 down in it as foimerly. Pollution is the cause of this. Owing to the increasing 

 pollution the fish do not take the river as freely as they used to do. It sickens 

 them. Never saw clean fish diseased before last year and the present year. 

 Believes that this year tbe disease has killed most of the kelts ; and the majority 

 of the spawning fish have this year been affected by the disease. Noticed 170 

 diseased fish, mostly unspawned, between the 6th of November last and the 

 beginning of February 1880. 



James Smith, Tweedmouth, lessee of Bailiffs Batt and Craws Batt 

 fisheries for the last three years. — Has been salmon fishing all his life, but for 

 the most part in the north of Scotland. During the spring of the present 

 year has seen about a score of clean fish affected by the disease. Saw them 



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