180 



examination of sections of preserved parts of the livers 

 and kidne}' taken from several fislies which were 

 examined by Mr. Chadwick, the Curator of the Biological 

 Station. In the absence of fresh material, and of cultures 

 of the organism, it is impossible to refer the fungus, with 

 certainty, to any known species. 



All the fishes which died had wounds on the surface of 

 the body. In one preserved specimen, a fish about 14in. 

 long, there are three large lesions on the blind side, one 

 on the head and the other on the body and tail. Each 

 is a large shallow abrasion with inflamed edges and 

 some pus on the surface, but no indication of a fungus. 

 There is a somewhat similar lesion on the ocular side. 

 In a much smaller fish there is an annular lesion of the 

 skin on the ocular side. The skin has disappeared, 

 forming a ring-shaped, clean wound, also with no indica- 

 tion of the presence of a fungus. In neither of these 

 fishes was the liver or kidney infested with the fungus. 

 This also appears to be the case with a number of fish 

 which died both in the spawning pond and in the storage 

 tank. But the appearance of the lesions on the fish 

 which died in the pond and the livers of which were 

 infected was identical with that I have described. It 

 is ver}' reasonable to suppose that the fungus is the cause 

 of death, and that the superficial lesions are to be 

 associated with the presence of the parasite, but there is 

 no direct proof of this ; and the death of fish in aquaria 

 from such wounds contracted in captivity, and due to 

 imperfect nutrition and not to the effects of any para- 

 sitic organisms, is far from uncommon. 



With regard to the occurrence and incidence of the 

 epidemic associated with the organism, I quote from a 

 letter from Mr. H. C. Chadwick : — 



" My acquaintance with the disease in the plaice 



