3) 
and I was called on among others. I was able to show a 
good prescriptive title for both river and sea fishings, but 
many of my neighbours were not so successful, and then, 
of course, the Crown officers, their right to the fishings 
having first been established or acknowledged, advertised 
the salmon fishings to be let to those who offered the 
highest rent—a preference, however, being given to riparian 
proprietors, 
This investigation has. been carried on along the 
east coast of Scotland, and I believe also the west 
coast. 
At my suggestion a return was obtained from the Woods 
and Forests two years ago, of the amount of these Crown 
salmon fishings for the years ending respectively Martin- 
mas, 1871, and Martinmas, 1881, from which it appears that 
the sum drawn for Crown leases of salmon fishings in 
Scotland in the former year was £3198 Is. 2a, and in the 
last-mentioned year £5110 I4s.; this progressive increase 
arising from the additional fisheries taken possession of 
by the Crown officers. 
The total amount of the rental received by all kinds of 
leases of salmon fisheries in Scotland, is believed to be 
about £ 250,000. 
There are, however, no statistical returns which can be 
relied on for accuracy on this point. The old Scotch 
Fishery Board (which was abolished last year by the Scotch 
Fishery Act) concerned itself only with sea fish. Since the 
new board was organised, there has been, as authorised by 
that Act, an inspector of Scotch salmon fisheries appointed 
by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who 
is entitled to seek information regarding the numbers and 
value of salmon caught, but who has only recently entered 
on his duties. 
