372 REPORT OP^ CO.^IMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



2591. (J)rcd'jiii() for oi/niern helow loirest cbh tide proliihitcd.) It shall not l>c lawful 

 for any person toiako for or gather oN'sters in any ol' the rivers, hays, or waters of 

 this State with a diedge, or iniplcniont so callcfl, or he employed upon any eanal 

 hoat, or vessel engaged in the takiiig of oysters hy the process of dredging in any of 

 the waters aforesaid, not ahove tlie lowest ehlt tide; andon conviction thereof shall 

 be lined iu any sum not cxec^eding the sum of .f5(), or to imprisonment in the county 

 jail for a i)eriod uot exceeding twenty days nor less than ten days, or l)oth, in the 

 discretion of the court. 



2592. (Taking of oysters prohibited during certain timcu.) It shall jiot he lawful for 

 any person to rake, scrape, or gather oysters in any of the rivers, hays, or waters of 

 this State, for any purpose whatever, from the 1.5th day of May until the first day 

 of Sei>teml>er of each year; and on conviction thereof sliall he liinsd in any sum not 

 exceeding the; sum of $50 for each offense, or to imprisonment in the county jail for 

 a period not exceeding twenty days nor less tliau ten, or both, at the discretion of 

 the court. 



2593. (jSmall oysters to he returned to beds.) It shall not be lawful for any person to 

 destroy oysters taken from tiie natural beds 1»y assorting or culling them on land or 

 shore and leaving the small oysters that are tliere to die; but in all cases the small 

 oysters shall be returned to tlieir natural beds, or to jtrivate beds for cultivation. 

 And if any i)erson shall offend against the provisions of this section, or in any way 

 wantonly destroy the sniall oysters, he shall, on conviction thereof, be liable to a 

 line for each offense, or imprisonment as i)rescribed iu section 2591 of this volume 

 of general statutes. 



2594. {Bight acquired by discovery of oyster bed.) Any person or persons, being a 

 pitizen or citizens of the United States, who shall discover any bed ()r beds of oysters 

 in any bay or arm of the sea bordering upon this State that has not been before dis- 

 covered, shall, by right of sand discovery, be entitled to the exclusive right or priv- 

 ilege of gathering or drc<lging oysters on said l)ed or beds for the term of five years. 

 The person or ])er80DS making such discovery, wlio desires to avail himself of the 

 rights and i)rivileges hereby granted, shall be recjuired to designate the place and 

 area of the bed or beds so discovered, with the stakes or other artificial nuirks, 

 and shall make affidavit before the county auditor of the county in which such dis- 

 covery has been made that he located the premises so discovered, accompanied by a 

 description and diagram of the same, which shall be filed in the office of said county 

 auditor: Provided, That the restriction and i)rotection of the discoveries shall be 10 

 acres. 



2595. (Vnlaitful to gather oysters from beds located byanothet — Penalty.) Itsliallnot 

 bo lawful for any ])erson to gather ))y any hieans on any beds located in accordance 

 with the preceding section, except at the option and hy the ])ermission of the party 

 or parties holding the same, under a penalty of $500 fine for so offending, or impris- 

 onment, to be recovered in a <-ivi] action, to bo brought in the name of the State. 



2596. (Time allowed certain persons in which to remove oyster beds.) Any ])erson who 

 has, prior to the 26th day of March, A. D. 1S90, ])lanted oyster beds upon any 

 of the shore lands of this State, shall be granted a period of not less than six 

 months nor more than three years after said land has been sold by the State to 

 remove the same ; the time to be determined by the commissioner of public lands. 

 And any person shall have the exclusive possession of said tide or shore lands 

 during the time that he has to remove said oyster beds under the provisions of this 

 act: Provided, That in case any jdanfer of oysfers shall fail within the time allotted 

 to remove the said oysters, he shall be deemed to forfeit the same to the ])urcha6er 

 or owner of said lands: Provided, That this shall not apply to tide lauds within two 

 miles of .•m incorporatf^l <rity. 



2597. (Construction of word " peison.") Wherever tlio woril " person " is used in 

 this act, it shall be deemed to nn^au ])erson, persons, firm, <n- corporation. 



