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cess of conservation must greatly depend upon their attention to 

 preserving. It is a manifest absurdity to expect in the case of a 

 river, the 'usufruct' of which is enjoyed by a few at the mouth, 

 that the magistracy will act as river-bailiffs to preserve for others 

 alone. To use Sir Walter's witty simile, the country gentlemen 

 would be then much in the place of a hen employed to raise 

 young ducks, and find, after a lengthy incubation, the ungrateful 

 brood betake themselves to deep water never to return. 



The Voluntary associations or societies for preservation, formed 

 after the passing of the Act, soon fell to the ground: those above 

 found the fruits of their labour plucked by others below. Even 

 the wonderful fecundity and great prolific powers of the salmon 

 failed to sustain the stock against the progress of capture and 

 destruction. The old fable of 'killing the goose with the golden 

 eggs' had little weight. There is a homely Milesian proverb, 

 coarsely quoted by Shane O'Nial the rude chieftain of Ulster, 

 to queen Elizabeth ; he remarks in a letter in which he asks for 

 an English court lady to wife, that "the calf is the cow's owner's, 

 not the sire's," implying that his offspring would be English. 

 By this rule, the rearers, or dry nurses at least, of an animal, 

 would have a claim prior to any other. And does not also pro- 

 tection deserve to receive a quid pro quo ? 



It has been shown how extensive is the field in the fresh 

 waters of Ireland for the ' cultivation of fish,' only requiring 

 that nature be permitted to sow it, and that man should cease 

 to destroy. 



Salmon that ascend to the upper waters have a double debt 

 to pay ; there should be enough to satisfy the fishermen above, 

 and sufficient spared to breed. And it will be found good 

 economy and policy on the part of those farther down to admit 

 a sufficient number to pass up, whether by the ' Saturday's slap- 

 by,' or other provisions. Summer floods will certainly enable 

 many to escape to the spawning grounds, where sportsmen who 

 have enjoyed a good season's amusement will attend to protec- 

 tion. The 'take' in the upper streams will be, by this means, 

 far from injurious to the fishings at the mouth, where the 

 6 commercial value' must always obtain. After the most that can 

 be fairly done for the ' Protectionist ' interest, the lion's share will 

 be devoured in the tideways and estuaries. 



The law might reasonably prohibit the use of nets above the 

 tideway, or in fresh waters, under some circumstances. The 

 employment of them is liable to abuse near mill waters, and in 

 stretching nets from bank to bank, If such restrictions were 

 made, there would be less scruple on the part of those below to 

 allow a larger quantity to ascend, when the means of capture 

 were thus restricted. Again, if the proprietors of good angling 

 waters would let the privilege of fly-fishing to visitors, in many 



