of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



47 



Kelts— 



1. 1st March. 



2. End of March and beginning of April. 



3. End of May. 



4. Not known. 



Sniolts — 



1. 20th April to end of May. 



2. No. 



Artificial Propagation of Salmon — 

 Private enterprise; Tongland, 200,000. 



Proportion of Male to Female Salmon — 

 Cannot ascertain. 



General Question — 

 No. 



THE DISTRICT OF THE RIVER NITH. 



Take of Fish— 



1. (a), (6), (c), and {d) Below the average. 



2. (a), (6) and (c) Cannot be given. 



3. Clean fish are caught as soon as the fishings open on 24tli February ; but 



afterwards, from about middle of March, no clean fish are got till the 

 sea-trout begin to run in April. 



4. (a) and (6) Cannot be got. 



5. {a) 28 lbs. ; (6) 34 lbs. ; (c) one of 40 lbs. was caught at Dumfries. 



Protection — 



1. £780 5s. 6d. 



2. 2s. 6d. per £. 



3. One man employed and paid by the Board, and over twenty gamekeepers 



sworn in as special watchers. 



4. Yes ; five men for using drag hooks in fish pass fined £b 10s. 6d each, 



or a month's imprisonment ; one man 38s., or 14 days, for snatching ; 

 one man 32s. 6d., or 14 days, for having smolts in possession ; four men 

 £2 each, or a month's imprisonment, for fishing in close time with drag 

 hooks in fish pass. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish — 



1. A pass has been constructed on caul at Cairnmill, Keir and Penpont 



parishes, but it is questionable whether it is effective or in accordance 

 with provisions of Schedule G of Salmon Act. 



2. Been fished as usual. 



3. One cruiv^e in the district is, but the dams are not. Most of the latter 



have neither passes, hecks, or sluices in accordance with the Schedule. 



4. No, except the pass on the Scaur at Cairnmill. 



5. Yes, when fish are running after a flood ; but when the rivers are low, 



the passes do not facilitate the passage of fish. 

 6 and 7. No. 



Pollutions — 

 1 and 2. No. 



The Salmon Disease — 



1. Very little ; it was only in March, and a few kelts were affected. 



2. Low, when it was seen. 



3. None taken. 



4. No. 



