373 
of Edinburgh, Session 1879 - 80 . 
The ponds are much larger than the square of the house and moat. 
The upper pond is situated about 100 yards above the moat, the 
greater part of the space between them being occupied by a bowling 
green. This pond is shallow, and has reedy banks, with flags and 
aquatic plants growing on the margins ; a strong current flows con- 
stantly through it to the outlet, and the water leaves it by a stone 
channel falling perpendicularly about 5 feet. 
Immediately beyond the fall, the water divides and forms two 
open streams, which supply two small ponds or stews at a short 
distance below, on the right and left sides of the fall. The water 
leaves the stews by conduits, which pass underground to the moat, 
and enter it by two falls of between 3 and 4 feet each, which fall 
clear of the breastwork. In addition to the main stream, through 
the conduits there are two other strong feeders of the moat, which 
flow into it from springs on opposite sides, and there is a continuous 
current flowing through it. The water leaves the moat by culverts 
to the lower pond, and from the lower pond by a fall, and flows 
through grass fields for a mile, where it enters another fish pond. 
Ho epidemic of fever or other zymotic disease is known to have 
taken place in the house, and only two cases of sickness (measles) 
during the last fifteen years. The gardener, his wife, and child, 
were the only occupants of the house during last winter, spring, and 
summer, the family being from home. 
Several severe epidemics of fungus have been observed in the 
ponds and moat. One occurred about the year 1850, but no par- 
ticulars have been preserved, and mild ones may have passed without 
much notice. “ Furred ” fish, and even a few dead ones, have been 
often seen by the gardener. In the spring of 1874 a very severe 
epidemic occurred, when all the ponds and the moat suffered heavily ; 
nearly all the fish died in the moat, and the disease was very de- 
structive in both the upper and lower ponds. 
This attack was inquired into by Dr Church, who satisfied himself 
that the fungus affecting the fish was Saprolegnia ferax. The fish 
consisted chiefly of roach, pike, and dace in the moat ; roach, perch, 
and pike in the upper pond ; roach, dace, perch, pike, and gudgeon 
in the lower pond. The roach, dace, and gudgeon suffered the most, 
only the small pike and perch were affected, and none of the large 
pike or perch were found dead, and not a single eel. 
