XIX.-NOTES ON THE FUNGUS DISEASE AFFECTING SALMON.^ 



By a. B. Stirling. 



It is widely kuown that a destructive epidemic lias this spring ap- 

 peared among the salmon of the rivers Eden, Esk, and Nith. The 

 mK)rtality among the fish has been so great as to cause considerable 

 alarm among proprietors, salmon-commissioners, tax-men, anglers, and 

 the general public. 



The newspapers inform us that within three days the watchmen have 

 taken out of the Esk as many as 350 dead salmon. All who have exam- 

 ined the fish carefully agree in referring the disease to the presence of 

 a fungoid growth. 



The other fish in those rivers, as the smolts, trout, eels, lampreys, 

 minnows, pike, and flounders, are also said to be attacked in a similar, 

 way to the salmon, and fears are entertained that the disease may become 

 thoroughly estabhshed in the district. 



In these circumstances I have thought it might be interesting to de- 

 scribe the condition of some of the fish which have come under my ob- 

 servation. In March last, my friend. Dr. Philip Hair, of Carlisle, sent 

 me the fin of a salmon which had iTeen affected by the disease, and 

 requested me to state, if possible, its nature. Unfortunately, the fin 

 was in a putrid condition when it reached me, and, as a result of the 

 examination, I could only state to Dr. Hair that the disease was proba- 

 bly a fungoid one. A few days later I received from Dr. Hair a fine 

 specimen of a trout, but it was not stated whether the fish was taken 

 alive or picked up dead. It was, however, quite fresh, and the effects 

 of the disease were paiufuUy exhibited on the carcass. A hurried ex- 

 amination of this specimen enabled me to inform Dr. Hair that the dis- 

 ease was due to what I had previously suspected, namely, a fungoid 

 growth. 



While examining this si>ecimen I observed, entangled among the 

 fronds of the fungus, foreign matter of various kinds, namely, torulse or 

 yeast-fungus, triple phosphates, fecula, human hairs, hairs of the cat 

 and mouse; also desmids, diatoms, shreds of dyed wool and cotton, with 

 other fragments of matter unknown to me. Eespecting the torulre, I, 

 in my letter to Dr. Hair, asked if their presence could be accounted for 



* Notes on the fungus disease atfectiug salmon, by A. B. Stirling, assistant conser- 

 vator of the anatomical museum in the University of Dublin, communicated by Profes- 

 sor Turner. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, session 1877-1878, Mon- 

 day, July 1, 1878. vol. ix, page 726. 



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