UNCLEAN AND UNSEASONABLE SALMON. 125 



have in possession, an unseasonable salmon, and 

 that it is lawful to kill or have in possession a 

 seasonable salmon, if the word "seasonable" is 

 applicable to clean salmon only, then clean salmon 

 could be killed all the yeeir round with impunity. 

 But the law imposes a heavy penalty for killing or 

 having in possession any salmon during the annual 

 close season ; therefore, it should be held, that the 

 word "unseasonable" is applicable under certain 

 circumstances to clean, as well as to unclean salmon, 

 and in all probability was inserted in the Fisheries 

 Act, in addition to, or rather in conjunction with, 

 the word " unclean," with the especial intention of 

 protecting clean salmon during the fence months. 

 The selection of the word, however, was a most 

 unfortunate one, and, to say the least of it, is very 

 misleading ; for, if it is unlawful to kill clean salmon 

 during the fence months for the reason that they 

 are unseasonable — that is to say, if the sole ground 

 of prohibition is to be the period of the year in 

 which they are taken, and not the condition in 



