PROTECTION OF FISH. 193 



to place, murdered thousands of glorious trout ; 

 supplying his own wants, the public table, and the 

 hog-pen — for the latter was separated from his feed- 

 ing place — till the pigs, disgusted at his brutality, 

 were surfeited, and bushels of putrescent fish had to 

 be buried or thrown into the lake. Others, almost 

 as murderous, roam the north woods of the State 

 of New York, and even penetrate as far as the un- 

 broken shores of Lake Superior, threatening anni- 

 hilation to our game of every kind. The man who 

 kills an animal, bird, or fish, knowing that it must 

 be left to spoil, justifies the charge of cruelty 

 against our class, and deserves the scorn and con- 

 demnation of all right-thinking men. 



Wanton injury to public property, in game, 

 should be punished precisely as similar injury to 

 public property in grounds or buildings, by incar- 

 cerating the ofiender in prison ; for of the two, the 

 latter is less injurious in its ultimate results. A 

 building may be replaced, but who can restore life 

 to the fish that bears a thousand undeveloped young 

 in its bosom, or can give back to the starving fawn 

 the mother that has been slain at its side ? Mere 

 pecuniary fines are an insufi[icient punishment ; the 

 poaching criminal is the poorest, as he is the mean- 

 est, of oifenders, and laughs at any attempt to col- 

 lect penalties that are not enforced by imprison- 

 ment ; while the wealthy cockney is willing 

 to run the risk of fine if he can, by taking the 

 advantage of honest sportsmen, have the chance 

 of boasting of his wonderful prowess and suc- 

 9 



