INTRODUCTORY. 5 



seasons of the year, is more abundant than that from spawn 

 deposited in other places, or at other times ; and 



Suppose, finally, that a connection can be shown between 

 certain local races and certain spawning grounds, or suppose it 

 can be shown that various local races use the same spawning 

 ground at different seasons, 



Then the spawning ground would become a known factor in 

 the abundance of the fishing in certain districts, and its manage- 

 ment in the interest of the fisheries would constitute legislative 

 fish-culture. 



In this supposititious case set forth above very great good to 

 the fishermen at large may result from a very slight interference 

 with local uses. Had the sea fisheries been subjected to the 

 harassing legislation inflicted at frequent intervals on our salmon 

 fisheries, the harvest of the North Sea would have been almost 

 entirely reaped by foreigners ; and yet it is principally by regu- 

 lation that our share of the harvest of the sea can be increased. 

 But such regulations must be either limited, and merely for 

 experimental purposes, in carefully restricted areas, or follow on 

 known facts. 



Almost the reverse is the case with the large-ovaed Salmonidce. 

 Commercial fish-culture, as distinguished from legislative fish- 

 culture, can here secure great abundance without the assistance 

 of the heavy penalties at present in force, which seem to be 

 directed more by the greed of a few proprietors than by any intel- 

 ligent desire to increase the number of fish. A law which makes 

 no distinction between the destruction of the hungry wolves and 

 the capture of the ripe hen-salmon heavy with 20,000 future possi- 

 bilities, most of which will merely form delicious mouthfuls for 

 some over-preserved kelt, can hardly be considered a law in the 

 public interest. No doubt many will say, " But kelts do not feed 

 in fresh water." The answer I gave in my paper on the Culture of 

 Salmonidce and the Acclimatisation of Fish, read at the Conference 

 at the International Fisheries Exhibition in London, 1883, is 

 probably still the shortest and clearest that can be given, viz., 

 " If salmon never fed in fresh water a well-mended kelt would be 



