18 
A}ipcndiccs to Eighth Annual Report 
It will be seen that in the above Table for the year 1887-88 the returns for 
the spawning beds on Avon and the Avon tributaries are given in the aggregate. 
Tli is is also the case with the tributaries of the Spey above Abernethy. I 
however, made the sergeant bailiffs last year make a return to me each week 
of the exact number of new spawning beds wrought on each individual stream 
throughout their respective beats, and this mode will be continued in future. 
Last year was certainly among the best spawning seasons ever witnessed on the 
Spey tributaries. The early spawning on the tributaries commenced on some 
of the streams almost a month earlier than has been the case for a number of 
years back. It must be understood that on some of these, especially the Avon, 
the figures given above do not give the absolute number of spawning beds 
which had been wrought by fish on the streams. As, for instance, on the 
Avon, Dulnain, Feshie, and Livet, from 10th until 26th November — being the 
height of spawning season — there was no sight to be got by the baililfs of what 
was going on in the way of spawning in consequence of high, brown water, 
and it is only reasonable to conclude that during that time there must have 
been a large number of fish which formed beds, spawned, and left the beds 
again before the water settled down to allow a sight of them to be procured. 
It will be seen by the figures that the increase of spawning beds over last year 
on the tributaries alone is 1788, which is considerably over a third in increase. 
On the Fiddich the increase over last year is 125 beds ; Avon, Livet, Con glass, 
and Lochy, 1079 beds; Dulnain, 130; Nethy, 6G ; Druie, Feshie, Tromie, and 
Truim, 358; and Spey (above Laggan, Badenoch), 30 beds. There are several 
small streams or burns which feed the Spey or other tributaries, such as Aber- 
lour, Pitcroy, Tervie, Tulchan, Cromdale, Sc., burns, in which grilse and sea- 
trout frequently spawn during the month of October or first part of November. 
Last season, during the above-mentioned time these burns did not increase in 
volume of water above that of their normal size, and, in consequence of this, 
there were few fish spawned in any of them during last season. The appear- 
ance of spawning on the river Spey was very good, and up to the average of 
previous years. In the Garmouth or Speymouth district the spawning com- 
menced unusually early, and in numbers far exceeded previous seasons. The 
spawning continued on Spey until about the end of February. No damage 
was done during the season to spawning beds from ice. There were two spates 
on the river during the season, the first of these being on 22nd November, and 
the other from 18th till 20th February. Some damage was done to spawning 
beds on the Dulnain and Spey by the first or November spate, but concerning the 
second or February one I do not consider that much, if any, damage was done 
in any of the streams, as the rise of the water came on gradually until it gained 
its maximum height, and no ice accompanied the flood. 
II. — Full Force of Bailiffs. 
The full force of bailiffs or Spey police is constituted as follows, viz.: — The 
Superintendent, stationed at Aberlour ; the Inspector, stationed at Grantown ; 
and forty-two constables. Eight of said constables hold the rank of sergeant, 
and the following are their respective districts — Garmouth, Craigellachie, Bal- 
lindalloch, Upper Avon, Grantown, Duthil, Invereshie, and Kingussie. The 
full force of men are on duty from middle of October until end of November, 
at which time commencement to reduce the force begins in the higher reaches 
of the district. It would be confusing to attempt to : state the number of con- 
stables and the different beats of same under each sergeant, as there is scarcely 
a week passes but some of the men have to be removed from one district to 
another, as different districts have their different spawning spurts, and must 
be attended to accordingly. 
III. — Kelts or Foul Fish. 
Kelts were as numerous in the Spey as in former years, and continued until 
into the month of April. 
IV. — Smolt Season. 
There were eleven men on duty protecting smolts over the whole district of 
Spey and tributaries during the smolt season, and they were statioDed as 
