of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



85 



to some eight or nine feet, and the pressure of water is commonly 

 excessive. The highest cliff in the gorge stands immediately above, and 

 a high rock stands in the centre of the channel. Relief to the pressure 

 could here be secured by deepening a cleft at the left bank so as to make 

 an island of the high rock at ordinary levels of water. It will be understood 

 that, confined as the river is in its gorge, a rapid and great rise of water 

 takes place in times of flood. 



The more serious obstruction is the Little Ess, a short distance up- 

 stream. The height which fish have to surmount here is, in normal levels, 

 about five feet. The water is very heavy at the fall, and no spring fish 

 would attempt the ascent. Two large rocks exist just above on the left 

 bank, and these, and other rocks on the same side, send the bulk of the 

 water to the right bank. The water is also much broken up in its flow 

 by the rough nature of the bed behind the rocks. On making an ex- 

 amination of this part of the river, it appeared to me that a channel of 

 easy gradient could be constructed without much difficulty, round the 

 large rocks at the left bank, and in addition, by opening a channel through 

 a great mass of broken rock which has fallen from the side of the gorge. 

 The upper end of this channel would come to a piece of black unbroken 

 water below the head of the pool above, and would be well protected. 

 Such a channel would be about 56 feet. 



A narrow rapid situated about 300 yards below the Little Ess should 

 at the same time be widened to relieve the pressure and superaeration of the 

 water. One or two other rapids, and notably one at the head of the 

 Muckle [Ess|pool, also might be widened with great advantage to the 

 river. 



The object of these operations would be to allow the free run of early 

 fish to the upper waters, so that the available stock would become more 

 evenly distributed over the spawning areas, since no spawning of any 

 moment can possibly take place in the rocky section of the river. The 

 operations would also secure that fish be not crowded in the pools below 

 the obstructions, where, even if they have escaped the nets, they soon 

 become stale and, as I have witnessed at times, much diseased. 



Number of Packages of Salmon delivered at or near Billingsgate 

 in 1918, and the average prices for the same. 



The Fishmongers Co. of London have kindly supplied the 

 following return. 



Month. 



English. 



Irish. 



Scotch. 



Canadian 



Totals. 



English. 



Irish. 



Scotch. 



Canadian 















s. 



d. 



s. 



d 



s. 



d. 



8. 



d. 



January 





35 





84 



119 





« 



5 



8f 







1 



9 



February 



125 



223 



142 



42 



532 



3 



b 



3 



IS 



3 



0 



1 



9 



March . 



160 



511 



463 



6 



1,130 



3 



0 



3 



0 



3 



0 



•2 



2 



April . 



79 



387 



459 





925 



3 



0 



3 



0 



3 



0 



2 



2 



May . 



113 



404 



728 





1,245 



3 



0 



3 



0 



3 



0 







June 



1 53 



1,630 



1,435 





3,218 



3 



0 



3 



0 



3 



0 







July 



315 



1,035 



1,667 





3,017 



2 



8 



2 



8 



2 



8 







August . 



69 



36 



516 





621 



2 



8 



2 



8 



2 



8 







September . 



12 





80 





92 



2 



8 







2 



8 



1 



ib 



October 









15 



15 















1 



10 



November 









15 



15 















1 



10 



December 









15 



11 















1 



10 



Totals . 



1,018 



4,261 



5,490 



173 



10,940| ... 









