CLUPEA. 157 



It is needless to advert to the many laws enact- 

 ed by the Legislature of this Commonwealth, for 

 the protection of the alewives in Taunton Great 

 'River ; as well as other species of edible fish, pecu- 

 liar to the rivers directly communicating with the 

 sea-board. 



Such laws have never been, nor can they be, of 

 the least possible advantage ; the combined forces 

 of the United States, in battle array, could not les- 

 sen their apparent numbers, and it would be ut- 

 terly impossible to exterminate the species. 



Therefore, all such protecting laws are perfect- 

 ly useless, unphilosophical, and at variance with 

 that grand scheme of nature which provides for 

 the necessities of all organized beings, and sustains 

 the existence of their species, under all changes, 

 incidents and circumstances.* 



Such portions of the fishery laws as immediately 

 affect the process of curing, and punishes frauds 

 in the weight and sale, are both reasonable and 

 righteous. 



Dams, break-waters, &ic. across rivers, are the 

 results of civilization, and fishes may forsake the 

 streams where they once instinctively deposited 

 their roes : but their loss is trifling, at any par- 

 ticular locality, when compared with the advanta- 



* Du Cange mentions aquatia, the right of fishing three 

 days in the year, in the middle ages. 



