MAY, 1883. 303 



fane specimens of the lobster kind that he had carefully 

 sampled. Although the aggregate size was considerable, 

 they were yet individually under the regulation 

 dimensions ; and as it was very necessary to make a 

 severe example of those contravening the Act, it was 

 relegated to the pot. Now, what can a fish preserver, 

 interested in Acts of Parliament, do with incorrigible 

 miscreants, without a regulation guage, that takes three 

 lobsters at a gulp ? This question lies at the bottom of 

 all our fish legislation. We want many classes of fish 

 that prey upon one another, and we have no definite 

 notions of how we are to regulate their mutual inter- 

 change of incivilities. The simplest, most direct, and 

 most intelligible mode of keeping up the supply of many 

 comparatively antagonistic species, is to incubate them 

 in quantities, and turn their fry into the sea in suitable 

 quarters, either confined or free, as appears best. We 

 have no doubt that in this way lochs deserted by the 

 herring of recent years could be re-stocked, and many 

 comparatively barren stretches of sea bottom be supplied 

 with suitable varieties of fishes; but in such areas of 

 water living food must be bred as well as fish. 



In the court of our relative's farm-yard there is a 

 trough supplied with water by means of a tap, requiring 

 several revolutions to turn on the supply. It was found 

 that the tap was being regularly turned and the yard 

 overflowed with water. On watching the evil-doer, it 

 turned out to be one of the horses that with its mouth 

 turned the tap until the water flowed, as it thereby 

 obtained a fresh supply, all horses being extremely 

 particular as to the purity of the water they drink. This, 

 to our imagining, was a highly intelligent horse ; but we 

 are assured its neighbour is far ahead of it, for not only 



