SALMON DISEASE 



31 



well-known remark that in questions of biology " if any one 

 tells me ' it stands to reason ' that such and such things 

 must happen, I generally find reason to doubt the safety of 

 his standing." 



This year, also, he began the investigations which com- 

 pleted former inquiries into the subject, and finally eluci- 

 dated the nature of the salmon disease. The last link in the 

 chain of evidence which proved its identity with a fungoid 

 disease of flies, was not reached until March 1883 ; and on 

 July 3 following he delivered a full account of the disease, 

 its nature and origin, in an address at the Fisheries Exhibi- 

 tion in London. 



In 1881, then, at the end of December, he went to North 

 Wales to study on the fresh fish, the nature of the epidemic 

 of salmon disease which had broken out in the Conway, 

 in spite of being in such bad health that he was persuaded 

 to let his younger son come and look after him. But this 

 was only a passing premonition of the breakdown which 

 was to come upon him three years after. 



One year's work as Inspector was very like another. In 

 1882, for instance, on January 21, he is at Berwick, " voice- 

 less but jolly " ; in the spring he had to attend a Fisheries 

 Exhibition in Edinburgh, and writes : — 



April 12. — We have opened our Exhibition, and I have been 

 standing about looking at the contents until my back is broken. 



April 13. — The weather here is villainous — a regular Edin- 

 burgh " coorse day." I have seen all I wanted to see of the 

 Exhibition, eaten two heavy dinners, one with Primrose and 

 one with Young, and want to get home. Walpole and I are 

 dining domestically at home this evening, having virtuously 

 refused all invitations. 



In June he was in Hampshire; on July 25 he writes 

 from Tynemouth : — 



I reached here about 5 o'clock, and found the bailiff or what- 

 ever they call him of the Board of Conservators, awaiting me 

 with a boat at my disposal. So we went off to look at what they 

 call " The Playground " — two bays in which the salmon coming 

 from the sea rest and disport themselves until a fresh comes 

 down the river and they find it convenient to ascend. Harbottle 



