12 



Appendices to Twenty-first Anmial Bepori 



what is locally termed " The White Spot." From careful enquiries 

 concerDing this disease I was satisfied tliat it occurs only in the sea or 

 estuaries of streams after long-continued dry weather, when ascent to the 

 fresh water is impossible. It would appear also that after ascent becomes 

 possible consequent upon a rise of water level in the streams, the disease 

 disappears. During the hot summer of 1901 large numbers of fish seem 

 to have died from this disorder. I Avas informed of the numbers which 

 floated up on the shore near Grimersta Lodge, of sea trout swimming, 

 apparently blindly, about the shallows of Stornoway Harbour, when they 

 were killed by boys, and of numbers being noticed at the mouth of the 

 Creed, Laxay. and elsewhere. The first marked appearance of this 

 disorder is a white spot on the crown of the head, hence the name. Capt. 

 J. T. JSTewall, who was tenant of Scaliscro, and relates his sporting 

 experiences of the Lews in a book entitled Scottish Moors and Indian 

 Jungles, refers to this disease (p. 141) as follows: — " The summer in the 

 Lews in 1880 was remarkable for the unusual heat. Salmon, in conse- 

 quence, could not ascend the rivers, which became so attenuated as to 

 afford no waterway for them. Fresh water being equally necessary as sea 

 for the health of the fish at the proper season, they suffered in consequence. 

 Many became quite blind, and developed a white spot on the head, the 

 result being the death of numbers near the mouths of the rivers." I 

 consider it extremely improbable that, as is suggested in the quotation, the 

 cause of the disorder is the lack of fresh water. The blindness, the bright 

 sunshine of hot weather, the extreme translucence of the sea water round 

 these islands, the shallowness of the estuaries, seem to me to indicate a 

 different cause. One is reminded of the pale skinned, sightless condition 

 observed in certain sea fish after prolonged confinement in tanks of 

 aquaria open to the direct action of the sun. 



Mr. H. L. Hansard, in describing in the pages of The Field (Nov. 8, 

 1902) the wonderful record for a week's fishing enjoyed by himself, Mr. 

 JSTaylor, and Mr. Probyn (1888), in which 333 salmon and 71 sea trout 

 were killed, refers incidentally to large white patches on the sides and 

 heads of the fish w^hich sickened in the Bay, during that very dry 

 summer, previous to the artificial rise of water in the Grimersta which 

 enabled the fish to leave the sea on 22nd August of that year. 



Orkney. 



Hoy> — Certain works have been carried out on this island for the 

 benefit of the sea trout fisheries. These I visited. At Ore Burn the 

 mouth of the channel has been defined so that the water of the stream is 

 now no longer allowed to find its way into the sea by several insignificant 

 runlets, but by one channel holding all the available water. This has 

 been accomplished by the building of the banks, in certain properly 

 chosen places, while allowing for the entrance of land drainage water. 

 The result is a distinct improvement as affording greater facilities, by 

 concentrated waterflow, for the ascent of fish. 



The Mill Burn at Kisa has been treated in the same way, a bye wash 

 from Eisa Mill being also defined by masonry so as to prevent any under- 

 mining of the main channel walls. About half a mile up the course of 

 this burn is the remnant of the old dam dyke for the mill. From the 

 appearance of the remains it is evident that a loch of small size previously 

 existed here. Mr. Middlemore, the proprietor of the island, proposes, I 

 understand, to construct a new and much more extensive dam on the old 

 site so as to create a fishing loch of considerable size. If this were done, 

 and a suitable fish-pass provided, it would at the same time be 

 possible to resort to the plan so successfully carried on in the Outer 



