25. 
snatch a bit of it. The wonder is that they are so law- 
abiding. But if the. present. persecution continues, and | 
repeated prosecution and punishment for what is no 
crime is maintained, the character of the men must 
deteriorate. | 
If, in addition, we reckon the loss to the fishermen 
through restriction of mesh, the heavy loss to cocklers in 
their having to submit to a gauge arbitrarily imposed upon 
them, when political economy has fixed onea little smaller 
(the difference is not great, but one is costly to the county 
and prevents the cockler earning a proper living, while 
the natural limit is equally fixed, works for nothing, and 
Causes no. irritation),- we cannot, I think, avoid . the 
conclusion that even the heavy cost of this department is 
a trifle compared with the tax levied on the fishermen, It 
will be a moderate estimate to put the loss at a quarter of 
a million of money since these laws were passed. 
_ Professor Herdman’s salve for all this is the breeding 
and feeding of shrimps. And if he would cease prosecuting 
the fishermen until he had satisfactorily accomplished it, 
and provided fhe remedy, we should have nothing to 
complain of. He suggests ‘“‘as well worthy of serious 
consideration” a trial of artificial shrimp culture in 
enclosed areas, with a view to providing some substitute 
for the present destructive method of shrimping, and pro- 
poses to feed them on offal. Speaking as a naturalist with 
