SAPROLEGNIA PER AX, SALMON DISEASE, 151 



than that of making them sulky and refusing to take 

 the lly or any kind of bait. But, however fatal to 

 fish life poisonous pollutions may be, this does not 

 prove that saprolegnia is due to any of these 

 agencies. A gentleman well up in chemistry, with 

 whom I had a conversation not long ago on this 

 subject, on my making the suggestion that the 

 poisonous solutions used nowadays for dipping sheep 

 which are drained off the land into a river might he 

 a factor in the mischief, made the remark, " On 

 the contrary, poisonous matter that would be fatal 

 to fish life would in all probability destroy the fungus 

 with which the fish are affected;" and it is quite 

 possible that this theory may hold good as regards 

 all pollutions of a poisonous nature. As remedies, 

 however, such poisonous agents would be worse than 

 the disease. 



But putting aside the effect that pollutions of all 

 kinds may have on fish, the question is, " Is sapro- 

 legnia due to any of these agencies?" The fact 

 that this disease sometimes appears in rivers, which 



