2 THE NATURAL HISTORY AND HABITS 



James the First, in 1424, we find it ordained, " That 

 all cruives and yairs set in fresh water where the 

 sea fills and ebbs, and which destroy the fry of all 

 fishes, be destroyed and put away for three years to 

 come, notwithstanding any privileges or freedom given 

 to the contrary, under the payne of 101." And in 1427, 

 the Act for destroying cruives is continued for after 

 three years. And in 1429, the same Act is to be in 

 force until revoked by the King and Parliament. 



How very different these regulations were from the 

 conduct of our Government now-a-days ; for now the 

 waters where the sea flows and ebbs are completely 

 shut up with stake-nets, bag-nets, yairs, and every 

 imaginable device and invention that the ingenuity of 

 man can contrive for the destruction and extinction of 

 the salmon race, and yet we have not had one of all 

 our legislators who has come boldly forward to rescue 

 the fast disappearing and perishing fisheries from the 

 grasp of their destroyers. 



We again find an Act in the reign of King James 

 the Second, in the year 1457: "Item, That nae 

 man in smolt time sett vessels, creels, weirs, or any 

 other engines to prevent the smolts passing to sea, 

 under the paine of ten pounds to the king, and the 

 sheriffs are required to destroy all that are made." 



And in James the Third, in 1477, it was enacted 

 and ordained, " That the Acts made by King 

 James the First, anent cruives sett in waters, be ob- 

 served and kept, the which bears in effect, that all 

 cruives sett in waters where the sea fills and ebbs, 

 and which destroys the fry of all fishes, be put away 

 and destroyed for evermore, notwithstanding all free- 

 dom or privileges given to the contrairy, under the 

 penalty of five pounds for each cruive ; and they 

 that have cruives in fresh water, that they gar keep 

 the laws anent the Saturday slap, and suffer them not 



