CIHM Microfiche Series (iUlonographs) ICIMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Instituta for Historical IMicroroprodurtions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming are checked below. [I D n D D Coloured covers / Couverture de couleur Covers damaged / Couverture endommagte Covers restorrd end/or laminated / Couverture restaurte et/ou peliicuide Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps / Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations / Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur FTf Bound with other material / D Reli6 avec d'autres documents Only editton available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortk>n along interior margin / La reliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge int^rieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / Use peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 film6es. L'lnstKut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exem- plaire qui sont peut-Atre unkiues du point de vue bibli- ographique, qui peuvent modifier une Image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une nrKXlificatk)n dans la metho- ds normale de filmage sont lndk)ute d-KJessous. D D D D n n CokMjrsd pages / Pages de couleur Pages damaged / Pages endommag^es Pages restored and/or laminated / Pages restaur^es et/ou pelilcuides Pages discotoured, stained or foxed / Pages d^color^es, tachetdes ou pk^udes Pages detached / Pages d^tachtes Showthrough / Transparence Quality of print varies / Qualit^ inhale de rimpressk)n Includes supplementary material / Comprend du materiel suppldmentaire Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been ref limed to ensure the best possible image / Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 filmtes k nouveau de fafon k obtenir la meilleure image possible. Opposing pages with varying colouration or discotourations are filmed twice to ensure the best possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des colorations variables ou des decolorations sont filmtes deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleure Image possible. 2l Additkjnal comments / Commentaires suppidmentaires: Pagination Is as folloMs: p. [2], [169]-173. This Ham is fnmad at tha rsducUon ratio ciMClcad balow / Ca doeumant aat fflm* au taux da rMuetion indiqu* ei-daaaous. lOx 14x llx 22x 26x SOx 7 12x 16x 20x 24x 28x 32x Th« copy fflmtd hers has bMn reproduced thanks to th« generosity of: Library Afrieulturt Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition end legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Originel copies in printed poper covers ere filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres* sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other originel copies are filmed beginning on the first page wfth a printed or illustrsted impres- sion, and ending on the last page with o printed or illustrated impression. The lest recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^> (meaning "CON* TINUED"). or the symbol V (meaning "EUD'l, whichever appHee. Maps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed et liferent reduction ratioc. Those too large to be entirely included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hend comer, left to right and top to bottom, ae many frames as required. This following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire film4 fut reproduit grice i la g4n*roslt* de: Bibliothiq«M Aarieulturt Canada Les imsges suivantes ont At* reproduites evec le plus grand soln. cc-vipte tenu de la condition et de la netteti de l'exemplaire fiim«. et en conformity evec les conditions du contrat de fiimage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en pepler est imprlmie sent fiimte en commen^ant par le premier plat et en termlnant soit par la dernMre page qui comporte une emprelnte dimpresslon ou dlllustrstion. soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous Iss suues exemplaires originsux sent fllmte en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une emprelnte dimpresslon ou dlllustration et en termlnant par la dernMre page qui comporte une telle emprelnte. Un dee symboles sulvants apparaftra sur la demlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole ▼ signifie "FIN". Les cartes, plenehes, tableaux, etc., peuvent ttre filmte i des taux de rMuction diffirente. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour ttre reproduit en un seul ciich4, II est fllm« i partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche 4 droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre dimages n4cessaire. Les diagrammes sulvants lllustrent le mithode. - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 fttaoam RnouirioN tkt chart (ANai and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) Ifi IZB |2j3 ■ U ■ 2.2 IM Itt ■■■ lit in L& ■ 2.0 li 1 Pi 1.6 ji /APPLIED IIVHGE Inc 1653 Cast Main Strwt Rochester, N*«t York 14609 us* (716) 288-5989 -Feu I^^^' %t^ '■^■^^?'A ,■:':*: i -"^i '.^ *-\ ';'i^ }Cli,^^::'44-:--' mmi !fe ^?.M.-^-?z:f^'^'4 • OEOROC V SESSIONAL PAPER No. 3Sa A. IStI REPORT on AFFECIED SALMON IN THE MIRAMICHI RIVER NEW BRUNSWICK By A. O. HUNTSMAN. B.A.. M.B.. P.R.S.C.. etc.. Curator of the Biotogic Sutioo. St. Andrew'.. New Brun.wick. 23305—1(1 OTTAWA J. Dl LABROQUERIE TACHft PRINTER TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJiSSTY 1918 I i > t I I i I > • OEOROC V •EMIONAL PAPtn N*. Ste A. Ittt r IX BIPOIT 0> AfflOTEI) lAIMOI DT THI XHAXIOHI BITBB, VIW iiiniiwioK. (By A. G. HuirnM*x, B.A., M.B.. F.K.8.C.. etc., Curitor of the Biologic.l Sutioo, St. Andraw'i, New Bruiuwick.) th« V.jVf '^ """ "' ^'i"**." ^"''' "'• ^ J- »«»»•'•»•. th. Deputy Minister of y^S,5-Z. f-TT'^TT '"^ '"^^ ••"' »'">'*««•• Board .rraMR. ... inTo,tig«tio„ of • d.«.>aw which had broken out among the ..Imon in the Northweat Mirnraid.i riv«. «rmin„"»!L"l^-." ''"^"** *". *••" ?"""»'''''' h^K^herj. South Eak. New Brun.wick. LriTrini^^ -K,""/^"!: •";;""«■♦« »»>« Po^-iWHty of orraniami other than b«c- tena b« n» re.pon..ble for the d.wase. and arrange for the .hipment of material for tri^'Ke'vuTS!.""*'"" '° '^""'•""" ^- ^- """-"• "' ^-'^"•>'» ^"••^' «»•• J^^JL'*''''*?' r" '''•.'*"'. ''" °'"*"'^'" " •'"' ^-- J» •• 1°<'"'«1 «»«»' the mouth of a •mall atream which eraptie. into the Northwest branch of the Miramichi river, a few mile. f«.m Newcastle. Mr. Donald Morrison, the local inspector of fi.herie.. and Z. Wm. Sheavreen, the officer in charge of the hatchery, gave every awistance. Down the stream from the hatchery is a pond for retaining the salmon previous to the .tnpping at spawning time. It eonsisU of a portion of the stream enclosed by boards, witn spaces between for the circulation of the water. The water is changed regularly by the action of the tid.- nn-l by the current of the stream. The level of ihe tTe ilLid '* prevented from falling too low by a dam across the stream below «J!J"**jTi'*'"'.°" "^ *•'* ^^^ '" ••'•' P*""' '""' V" offlcially reported to be visibly .iffected. and I found white patches of fungus with extensive ulcerations in the centre of many of the pate w in the worst ca«e». The head, the back, and the tail were the parts that in most instances showed evidence ..f the disease. In the earlier stages the affected parts were seen to be covered with a greyish thin film of fungus, which was easily rubbed off. If the fi«h were removed from the water these greyish patches could scarcely be seen. e fash that were in the worst condition were sluggish, came inshore into the shallo- .,. or floated near the surface with the fins exposed. Frequently the caudal fin wh„ partly out of the water nnd the head very low, the fish flouting at an angle approaching the vortieal. Mr. Sheasgrwn gave the following iiifornintion on October 12:— " During the latter part of September «mall marks, chiefly on the head, were "•!r!i rf '^ T.^'^'l"]' "^ *'"' ^'^ '" *•"« P^n-J- A f««- '•'"I'ed fish (those with definite wounds) had been received from the fishermen. It has been the custom vfhenever an opportunity presented to take these marked fish from the pond and bury them. The records show that twenty-two fish were taken out from the 18th to tlu- 21«t of September, three on the 2.-.th. and five on the 28th On the outbreak of the disease rthe last of September) at first only dead fish were r«noved, b«.' 'eter badly infected living ones as well. Beginning with September 30. fash were received every day. never less than ..even and o^.das many as th.rty-eight. The <'..ad fish were all well covered with the fungus On Oetober 6 we began to reje. some of the fish brought in by the fishermen, who by tins time were noticing the fungu.s on some of the fish tliat th.v were catch- ing. Of the fish brought in there were no large number bndly marked previous i 110 DtfABTMKMT Of TKF. XAVAL MKMVICK ■ OfOROC V, A. i»ia to October «. TIm7 all •bowrd. if any, only ilivht mnrk*. and no evident funcw. Fron that date on, from 15 tn ilO prr i-t^t (9 lo 4 out of every doaen) of the flab taken eacb day from three trap* near the hatchery, of which recorda irere kept, •bowed Kivni of tY diieaae, and wpro rejertrd. The (i*h from a trap )l| milaa np the river «hownl twenty-aix affpcted out of a toUl of fifty-two on October «, twenty-two out of 40 on October 8, and three out of thirteen on OetcAer 11, apparently ihowinir a iteady iraprovenu-nt a« if the Infected flih had paaaed up the river. ITp to nearly the 8th of October the lalmon in the pond did not laein to be ai active (jump ai much) ai in previou* yeari, but aince that date there hai been a marked improvement. "La«t year (1914) there were i,636 ulmon in the pond. Thia year the pond hat been rnlarirod and ia from one-quarter to one-third lancer than last year. The numbt;? of fish that had been placed in the pond previous to Sep- tember 30 wai 9308. "This ditcaie has not been noticed in the salmon in any year previous to this, although salmon in the (limpo region are reported to have had fungus disease last year." From a comparison of the nuniUro of the flsii md the siict of the pond it is evident that there baa been far leas crowding of the ri«h this year than last. As to temperature, tho Monthly Weather Reviews of the Meteorological Service show that ttt Ohathani, aO miles from the hatchery nt the mouth of tho Miramichi river, the mean monthly temperatures for tho months of August aneniturc records for the water at the hatchery are incomplete. Tem- lioratures were obxcrvud in the hatchery from Auguttt 30 to September 20. The records dhow a rangi> from 50° to 68° F., with an average temperature of about 58°. Tem- peratures have been observed in the retaining pond from October 6 to 20, and riiow a range from 40° to 62°, the temperature remaining comparatively uniform during that period. Temperatures observed in the hatchery from October 14 to £0 show that on bright days the temperature in the pond is two to three degrees higher than in the iiatohery, and on cloudy days about the some as in tho hatchery. .Judging from this, tho temperature in the jwnd has at no time since fi»h were put in (September 11) lieen higher than 65°F. Temperature dotm not appear to have been a special causative factor in 1915. The gradual lowering of the temperature has doubtless helped to itop the spread of the disease, Mr. Sheasgreen stating that on October 20 no new diseased tish were appearing. As to the place of origin of the disease, the presence of diseased fish among those caught in tho traps over a considerable period of time indicates that the disease was l)re8ent for some distance up ond down the Northwest Miramichi river. Diseased tish were not noticed among those talcen from the traps until one week after the disease had been observed in the pond. Mr. Sheasgreen states that he and his assistants buried all the fish removed from the no'.J. This obviates the possibility of fish from the pond having carried the infeftl'- . the fish in tho river, although ■ not the possibility of the pond having serv .1 ns .. .-ource for the distribution of the infection up and down the river. The avenue of infection appears to have been chiefly through abrasions of the slciii. The principal parts seen to be affected in the. early stages of the disease were: the tip of the snout, tie margins of the jaws, the top of the head, and the middle lino of the back, and the margins of the fins. These are the parts most liable to injury in the traps or in the cars used for transporting the salmon to the retaining pond. An examination of the fish caught in the traps and brought to the retaining pond on T f 4rrKT9n halmos i\ niinvirHi kitkh m fom™. /kl -1 ^ i rr . ^^^ ""*• "' "'" »»•• »•»■' di-tribution of the thl^ir iL^" '~^"' •""""'*'• •'•• *'^^^"^« -••-^•k"! .mly hi J««|]!i!/i*?"r "V**^ ""•' j''"'""'"' *'•»> ♦»"• -ProaJ of th« fuiwu*. Fi»h w^th well- Mw S • '""'""' ':""'r "' '""""• "-• •»"' »>'••» "' «''«"'»»•"•. •-' with wold. «P« „\iZ^"*' •»'""»,'«';"u''" ""r'^ •'' ^''o"""" •• Ix-lthy fi»h. But if the fH„Ku. 1« Pk'^"' "'«" much of the .,.rf«.* they wen- .I„g h. rame oU.. in.hor.. or floated ie.r tho .urfaoe with the fln.. prtrtR-ularly the eauda.. iti.kinK 'mU of the water. In the l«M «tage« they dropped to the bottom of the water on their .ide,.. «:tl7*"'«"il''^ ''"^ *.'"* referiMut. to the rate of .pread of the din...... bav.- to do eond.t.on. w.th the funKu. .-overin, mo«t of tho M.rfa,^. but .. ,li^htly devXptHl tnnt It wan not .-aiily «sen afu-r the «.h ha, wn. i„ rhe hands of Prineioal of the Pa holoffieol DcT,artment. University .f Toronto. .„:io„. of the «kinfrom with thionin blue n order to demonntrate. ; ssible, th- preson.-,. of the Baemu.', salmons pe»H,, wb.e, was found by .1. Hume Patterson (190.3) i„ ,« J of the ,alm^n ob^r ;^""»^!" "«"«t Britain. He informn me that no .xiitive nvulL iv^ C obtained. Negative results in su.h a ease prove nothing. fcnoJl*'! r^' characters of this disease appear to be identical with those of the well knom. salmon dis^-as,. that appeare,! in the form of „„ epidemic .„..on« the ^^Imo m certain rivers in the north of England nnd .Scotland n 187:. it spread n the tTu^' 1 ' ''" r" *" *•''' "-i^hlsmrinp rivers n, and down the co It .d ia c^n- t.nued HI an endemic state in the waters of (Jrent Britain ever since. No mea"* o. successfully combatting it has as yet been foun.l 172 DKrAKTUMST OF TBS NAVAL SBKVICK 8 GEORGE V, A. 1918 ra>ponaible for the diaeaM, but a Baeillu* (B. talmonit pestis). The Bacillua alone brought about the death of fiah, but not the Sofrolegnia alonia The latter was able to grow in tiasuea already invaded by the BaciUtu. The Baeillu* grew in .*t!» water, but the SaproUgnia did not Salmon affected by the disease while in gilt water would therefore not show any fungus until after arriving in fresh water. Patterson states that the cold season is more favourable for the growth of the BacUlu$ and Malloch (1910, p. 117) states that the colder the weather the worse the disease becomes. But Patterson's experiments merely show that the Bacillus grows better at C C. (38° F.) than at 87° C. (98.6° F.), whereas at room tetnperature (60° F. f) t'.c growth was very much more rapid than at 0° C. In the ease of the disease in the Miramichi river, Mr. Sheasgreen has stated that the condition of the fish in the pond improved rapidly during the latter half of October and at the same time the number of diseased fish taken in the traps decreased. The lower temperature may have been responsible for this, either by improving the condi- tion of the fish or by decreasing the rate of spread of the infection. For eradicating the disease our only hope, and that a slender one, is to systematic- ally remove all dead and diseased fish as soon as discovered. Patterson recommends that they be burned and not buried, since the organisms survive in the dead fish and may be carried again into the streams. Unless due to some undiscovered temporary factor, the disease is practically certain to appear again. Whatever organism may be most responsible for the disease, the latter being an affection of the skin, will be influenced by other organisms as well, and there will also be a number of contributing factors, the chief of which will be those that lower the general vitality of the fish. In the case of the salmun retained for spawning purposes, an effort should be made in the future to improve the conditions in the ponds, parti- cularly with regard to renewal of the water and the attainment of the most suitable temperature, so thct the fish will be affected as little as possible. If the disease reap- pears, experiments should be instituted to determine the conditions best adapted to prevent its spreading. The use of the fish for spawning purposes raises the question of the possible effect of the disease on the eggs or on the next generation. The Deputy Minister informs me under date of April 6, 1916, that in three hatcheries, supplied from the Miramichi retaining pond, the loss had already reached a figure of from 42 per cent to 61 per cent of the original number of eggs. It seems probable that many infected fish had recovered, as maintained by Mr. Sheasgreen, and that these gave eggs of greatly lowered vitality. The fish stripped were all in good condition, and precautions were taken to prevent any infection reaching the eggs from the exterior of the fish or from the pond. What would be the result if some of the infection did reach the eggs ? The Sapro- 1-egnia is known to attack fish eggs, but it is at least probable that this occurs only when the eggs are of low vitality. Also Saprolegnia spores are so widely distributed as to be present in the water in the hatching troughs in any case, although those from the fish may belong to a more virulent strain. It is improbable that the bacteria, which may have a causal relation to the disease in the salmon, will attack the salmon eggs. Plehn (1911) found that Bacterium sal- monicida, which produces furunculosis in the brown trout (Salmo fario) attacked neither the eggs, the alevins, nor the fry of the trout, but did- attack the yearlings. It is tlierefore quite unlikely that the disease can be transmitted through the fry and by that means be carried to the streams in which fry from Miramichi eggs may be planted. It is possible, however, that it might be carried in the water used for shipping the eggs or fry. It is very desirable that during a future season other rivers should be investig- ated. It has been claimed that in the rivers of Great Britain the salmon disease was present in a sporadic form previous to the outbreak in 1877. AFWBCTSD 8ALU0K /.V MIltAMWai RtVBR 173 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a LmnATURE. Hofer, B. Handbuch der Fischkrankheiten. Stuttgart. 1»0«. Mnlloch, P. D. Life-History and Habits of the Salmon, etc. London. 1910. Pattewon, J. H. The Cause of Salmon Digease. Pub'n., Fishery Board for Scotland. ""''tif Bd'^a^Hr^jlToefYoiL^^^^ '^•'"^"'^"- '■ ^'^'•' ^"'■' ^ ^''»- 0"«'- ^**'vd! K.^p. 7^.*"iW8.*'" ^'"*'"' °'**"'^ '*'^*''* ^''^°"- ^'°*'- ^y- S""- ^»'' Additional Obgervations on the Fungus Disease, etc. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin.. vol. A, p. £o}St 1878. Walpole and Huxley. On Saprolegnia in Relation to the Salmon Disease. Quart Joum. Micr. Se.. vol. XXII, new series, p. 311. 1882. Wilson CB North American Parasitic Copepods belonging to the Family Caligidac. Part I. The Caliginae. Proc. U. S. Nat. Museum, vol. XXVIII, p. 479. 1905