SAPROLEGNIA IN KELATION TO THE SALMON DISEASE. 311 



On Saprolegma in Relation to the Salmon Disease. 

 Extracted from the Twenty-first- Annual Report of 

 H.M/s Inspectors of Salmon Fisheries. 



In willingly assenting to the proposal of the Editor of the 

 ' Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science' that the fol- 

 lowing extract from Mr. Walpole's and my Report should 

 appear in the Journal, I adopt their suggestion that I should 

 take upon myself all responsibility for what is there written 

 after the words, " The first symptoms of this disease," on p. 

 312. T. H. Huxley. 



June 23, 1882. 



There are two other matters on which it is necessary for 

 us to treat before we close this report ; one of these we need 

 only refer to in a short paragraph ; the other we propose to 

 deal with in more detail. 



In the first place, it is our duty to point out that the 

 multiplication of salmon is seriously affected by the increase 

 of pollution. Into the particulars of these pollutions it is 

 not necessary for us to enter. A reference to the Appendix 

 will show the many cases in which new pollutions have 

 arisen, or old sources of pollution have done fresh damage 

 during the last twelve months, and the few cases in which 

 steps have been taken to render pollution harmless. We 

 may say generally that the multiplication of fish is made 

 more difficult in this way, and that some of the rivers 

 which have hitherto been most productive are in perhaps 

 the greatest danger from this cause. It is for Her 

 Majesty's Government, rather than for ourselves, to consider 

 whether, under these circumstances, any steps are desirable 

 for the purpose of remedying these pollutions. It is 

 merely our duty to point out the danger which arises from 

 them. 



The second point to which we desire to draw attention is 

 the remarkable outbreak of a disease among the salmon of 



