Effects of the Winter of 1878-9, by James Hardy. 155 



dition ; and when opened, was found to be a female fish, as yet unspawned, 

 but with the ova well developed, and plainly near spawning. In the 

 sworn evidence of water-bailiffs, several instances were stated of salmon 

 which had not completed their spawning as late as the first week in 

 May. In like manner, the exceptional nature of the weather has this year 

 retarded the development of the water-flies, and so late as the 17th May last, 

 I saw the familiar " March brown" in some abundance on the Tweed at Mel- 

 rose. The earliest appearance of this fly was unusually late ; but I can- 

 not name the precise date of its first appearance. 



The salmon disease, known to naturalists as the Saprolegnia ferax, appears 

 to have been very destructive in the Tweed and Teviot, in both of which 

 rivers large numbers of dead fish are observed covered more or less with this 

 ftmgus. It has also attacked Trouts, which I have seen swimming with this 

 parasite on them ; and it appears to have been especially fatal to Graylings ; 

 and I am told, also to Eels. With reference to Graylings, I may mention 

 that I found, some weeks ago, a dead one on the channel opposite to Mer- 

 toun House, shewing that this fish had advanced thus far up the Tweed. 



This peculiar disease is to be made the subject of a scientific inquiry, and I 

 fear I can throw no special light on its causes. It is not new in the 

 Tweed. I well remember a good many (perhaps about 6 or 8) years ago, 

 when fishing in late spring for trouts about Old Melrose, to have observed 

 Salmon, shewing a similar fungus growth on them, swimming about in a 

 helpless condition close to my legs, as well as dead fish lying on the channel, 

 or in the water, similarly marked. The fish had been detained in the river 

 that season to an unusually late period. The number of Whitlings in the 

 Tweed and Teviot this spring was very great, and they remained in the 

 rivers much later than usual ; I mean fish that had spawned ; but, on the 

 contrary, Salmon Kelts were unusually scarce ; and I was told at Mertoun 

 that only two Kelts had been landed with the rod this season in that part of 

 the river. 



As to the effect of the cold, long winter on plants, I have little to add to 

 what you wiU have to state, or have already stated. The WaU-fiower plants 

 were nearly all killed, unless specially protected ; and a considerable number 

 of Eoses — nearly all Standard Hybrid Perpetual — were also killed. 



On the other hand, the Spring Flowers have been in great profusion and 

 beauty ; Primroses especially ; and the Hawthorn, now coming into bloom 

 here, is in greater abundance than I ever saw it before. On some of the 

 branches the fiowers form a solid mass. 



June 23, 1879. 



SELKIEK8HIEE. 



On tie Effects of the Winter 1878-9 on Gardens and ShruUeries in 

 the neighlourhood of 8elMrl. By the Eev. James Farqtjhar- 

 soN, M.A., Selkirk. 



The six-months' winter of 1878-9 seems to have been much less injurious 

 to vegetation in this high-lying district, than in many other parts of Scot- 

 land nearer the level of the sea. Nor have the prolonged periods of hard 



