22 THE FISHERIES. 



much more importance was attached than it merits, 

 may be here referred to. We mean, the allegation 

 that these engines capture salmon in the best condi- 

 tion ; and the inference thence deduced, that they 

 have an advantage in that respect oyer the ancient 

 mode of capture. We admit that thej take sal- 

 mon in the highest condition ; but we cannot per- 

 ceive that they have anv peculiar privilege in this 

 respect. A single tide will not elapse, in ordinary 

 tideways, in the passage of the salmon from the sea 

 to the charter-weir. This fact is known in many 

 ways ; but we may instance the animalcule or para- 

 site, which adheres to the scales of the fish, and 

 which can hve only a few hours after its arrival in 

 fresh water. These associates of the salmon are 

 found ahve upon them, at all the old Salmon-weirs. 

 Many of these weirs being only a short distance 

 from the sea, an hour sometimes will not elapse, in 

 the transit (which is always rapid) from the sea to 

 the weir. Upon this head, it may be stated that 

 there is no perceptible difference between a salmon 

 cauojht in the sea. and one cauo:ht at one of the old 

 weirs. Those who sought to make this distinction 

 must have made diligent search for a supposed ad- 

 vantage. It assumes, too, that the lordly abbots of 

 the olden time, or their successors, of the corpora- 

 tions, did not know the flavour of a salmon in its 

 prime, and mistook the proper locaUty for capturing 

 him : a salmon caught by an angler far up a river, 

 which has been, perhaps, a month in fresh water, is 



