of the Fishery Board jor Scotland. 



251 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follow : — Prosecutions 

 were instituted against 121 persons in season 1911-12, Fifty persons 

 paid fine or were allowed time to pay, 54 persons were imprisoned, 4 

 absconded, 11 were acquitted or admonished, and proceedings were 

 withdrawn in the case of 2 persons. 

 The principal ofifences were : — Killing salmon by means of illegal nets, cleek 

 and light and rake-hooks, being in illegal possession of salmon and 

 of engines for killing salmon, and assaulting and obstructing bailiffs. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Pish— 



1. Dam dykes disused, built, or in prospect: — None. 



2. Are the bye-laws observed in every case ? — No byelaws. 



3. Fish passes built or in prospect :— A pass for fresh-water trout is pro- 



posed to be built at Wells Cauld, on the Rule, to enable trout which are 

 washed over the cauld to return to the lake. The proposed ladder or 

 pass is not intended to carry salmon or sea trout. 



4. Natural obstructions not yet dealt with : — None. 



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are : — Poisonous matters from mills and dyehouses 



in Selkirk, Peebles, Innerleithen, Walkerburn, Galashiels, Hawick, Jed- 

 burgh, and Chirnside. Household sewage from Biggar, West Linton, 

 Eddleston, Melrose, St. Boswells, Kelso, Coldstream, Sprouston, An- 

 crum, Lilliesleaf, Earlston, Lauder, Berwick-on-Tweed, &c. 



2. Remedial measures : — There are settling tanks connected with all the mills 



in Peebles which intercept the grosser parts of the mill effluent, but 

 not much good. There are purification works connected with the mills 

 in Selkirk, erected about 34 years ago. A new system of drainage and 

 purification works have been erected in Galashiels. The purification 

 works are only partly in operation up to date, but the whole of the 

 town sewage is to be connected early next year. In Hawick there are 

 irrigating tanks in a field, but they are not worked satisfactorily. 

 A purifying plant has been erected at Chirnside Paper Mills with fair 

 results. 



The Salmon Disease— 



1. Disease made its appearance, season 1911-12, in the month of November, 



and reached its height in January. 

 The river was free of diseased fish in May. 



2. The number of diseased fish taken from the river and destroyed was as 



follows : — 



The Spawning Season, 1911-12— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning on 1st November (sea trout). 



2. The greatest number spawned in December. 



3. Spawning ceased in March. 



4. As regards numbers of breeding fish, and state of the water, the past 



spawning season is regarded as good. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in April and May. 



2. As a smolt year 1912 was good. 



REPORT FROM FORTH DISTRICT. 

 Take of Pish— 



1. The number of fish taken was : — 



(c) By rod and line — About the average. 

 3. Particulars as to times grisle and sea trout appeared are as follows : — 

 The most prolific months were July and August. 



Kelts, - 

 Clean, - 



Males. 

 1,227 

 70 



Females. 

 510 

 40 



(a) By fixed engine 

 {h) By sweep net 



