46 THE FISHERIES. 



we fear so much technical detail connected with these 

 migratory contrivances may appear tedious; if so, 

 its best excuse will be its utility. The practical dif- 

 ficulty of this particular branch of our subject is ad- 

 mitted on all hands : few, indeed, have examined it 

 all ; but great as are the inherent difficulties, the 

 adventitious ones are greater ; to pursue, indeed, 

 this branch of inquiry, or meddle in the smallest de- 

 gree with either the mill or the mill-owner may be 

 regarded as a task beset with difficulties and contro- 

 versy. The fisheries are especially known to be a 

 vexata question or sea of troubles, and to ramble into 

 these forbidden paths resembles poaching on some 

 strange manor, or innocently putting one's hand into 

 a hornet's nest ; but in this utihtarian age every 

 nook and corner of science must be explored, and 

 even in the humblest departments of the useful arts, 

 the march of improvement must go on : many per- 

 sons throughout Ireland understand, and can explain, 

 these technical details, and we hope no extraneous 

 considerations will deter any person competent to do 

 so from throwing every possible light upon so useful 

 an inquiry — practical persons in the neighbourhood 

 of mills and weirs should willingly communicate any 

 information upon the subject, which their local know- 

 ledge and pursuits may have enabled them to acquire. 

 The scale of license duties fixed by the Bill will 

 next require some notice. A higher rate is proposed 

 for all engines used in fishing, than that provided by 

 the present scale, and we think this absolutely neces- 



