RELATION TO HEATHER 87 



and wet muir lands" being recorded in 

 the books of the Sheriff Court. The 

 penalties for infringement of this Statute 

 are £2 for a first offence, £5 for a second 

 offence, and £10 for a third and every 

 subsequent offence, with alternatives in 

 case of non-payment of these fines within 

 ten days, of imprisonment for six weeks, 

 two months, and three months, for 

 successive offences. Prosecutions of this 

 nature are now rare, though technical 

 breaches of the Act are not uncommon, 

 especially within the confines of deer 

 forests, where, as generally few grouse 

 and no sheep are found, there is some- 

 times a mistaken impression that heather 

 burning need not be systematically done. 

 In England, the maliciously setting 

 fire to any heath, etc., was made a felony 

 under 7 & 8 George IV. cap. 30. This 

 Act was repealed in 1861, and the ruling 

 Act is now 24 & 25 Vict. cap. 97, which 

 imposes very severe penalties for unlawful 

 and malicious muirburn, though in practice 

 these are now always greatly modified. 



