100 



BBRWICK-ON" also affected by it during the previous spring. Has no doubt that these 

 TWEED. , -; diseased fish have gone up the river and contracted the disease there, and were 

 returning to the sea when caught. They seemed to have been some time m the 

 fresh water, as they were out of condition and dark in colour. They felt 

 slimy and had not the firmness or silvery look of a newly-run fish. Never 

 saw disease on a salmon with the tide lice on him. Believes the disease 

 is a river disease. The fresh-water fish, such as trout, graylings, &c, have the 

 same disease, but no diseased fish are ever got in the sea. 



John Fulton, tenant of fishings at Milne Graden. — Is 66 years of age, and 

 has been a fisherman all his life. Believes the salmon disease to be a new 

 disease. Has frequently seen kelts dead or dying in the spring after spawning. 

 First saw clean-run spring fish with the fungus disease last year. Has seen 

 more of them this year than last year. Has caught salmon which have come 

 up from the sea since January. Such salmon used generally to remain in the 

 river and afford good sport to rod fishers in April, May, and June. But this 

 year the greater number of the spring-run fish caught in the nets have the 

 fungus disease on their heads. Thinks that these fish are going back to the 

 sea, finding that the river water sickens them. Believes they contract the 

 fungus disease higher up the river, and this drives them down towards the 

 sea. 



The river is much more polluted at Kelso than down here, and it seems 

 probable that the salmon may catch the disease owing to the pollution. 



Never saw the tide lice on any salmon affected by the fungus disease. Has 

 landed this season at least 20 diseased clean salmon and trout (chiefly salmon). 

 Some of these were silvery, but by far the greater number were dark in colour, 

 and not so clean and bright as fresh-run fish. The dark coloured were the most 

 diseased. All of these were dropping down the river. Has never seen a 

 diseased clean salmon swimming up the river. 



Thomas Sligh, Coldstream, fisherman to Mrs. H. Huntley, at Carham. — 

 Thirty years ago first saw the salmon disease on kelts, and 10 years ago first 

 noticed it on clean fish. Has landed with the net this year 10 clean salmon 

 diseased and 10 bull-trout. Believes that this year the disease has killed by 

 far the greater number of kelts in the river. The liver of most of the diseased 

 fish was enlarged and discoloured. Has seen clean spring-run salmon and 

 trout killed by the disease. On one occasion saw three clean salmon and two 

 bull-trout dead, and several others apparently dying. The diseased clean fish 

 caught in the net were dark in colour, and had not the appearance of fish 

 direct from the sea. There was a difference in handling them. They felt 

 slimy, whereas fish fresh from the sea feel firmer and are cleaner in the skin. 



Never saw diseased salmon with the tide lice on them. Has often seen 

 diseased clean salmon swimming clown the river near the surface, and has no 

 doubt they got the disease higher up the river. 



Thinks pollution is the cause, and the pollution is increasing. Smolts, 

 minnows, trout, grayling, pike, and eels are now affected by the disease. The 

 Carham water is an excellent angling water; but it is falling off very much 

 owing: to the disease. Only nine salmon were caught last year, and eight this 

 year ;" whereas 30 to 40 used to be taken. Diseased salmon will not rise to 

 the fly. 



Edinburgh, Friday, May 21st, 1880. 



Present : 



Archibald Young, Esquire. 



Charles Bell, M.D., 14, Stafford Street, Edinburgh.— Has been an angler 

 for upwards of 30 years, and is well acquainted with the Tweed, Nith, Clyde, 

 Brora, and Helmsdale. The pcdlution of rivers has very greatly increased. 

 One cause of this is that waterclosets were formerly almost entirely out of 

 doors, and their contents were spread on the fields ; now they are generally in- 

 doors, and their contents are discharged into drains, which convey the pollu- 



