OF THE SALMON. 69 



nature, we are certain in the end to produce an ex- 

 termination of the race, as we have already nearly 

 accomplished. From all the observations I have 

 made, the best, the most natural, and the most pro- 

 ductive close-time we can give them is from the 

 middle of the August month to the first of January. 



Secondly. When the laws are changed to reason, 

 and an abundance of breeding fish in the river, and 

 even at a suitable time, we require to keep a strict 

 protection over them, to protect them from their 

 worst enemy man, who are not content only with 

 killing them when clean and in a state fit for food, 

 but who will follow them to the spawning-bed, and 

 leister them off the shallows when in the very act of 

 depositing their seed, and when they are unfit for the 

 use of man : however, the rapacity for their destruc- 

 tion, notwithstanding a perfect knowledge of their 

 effecting a serious injury, does not prevent their de- 

 structive propensity, and nothing, under the present 

 inefiicient laws, but a strict and an expensive esta- 

 blishment of police can prevent their utter destruc- 

 tion ; and although the laws were altered, and made 

 sufficient for the improvement of rivers, such an 



brood consisting of 2,000,000 of fry, all vitalised at the expense of 

 a few pounds sterling. Of these fry nearly one half, without any 

 additional cost whatsoever, is likely to attain the smolt size ; and 

 allowing that only a single individual out of two hundred finds 

 its way back to Tweed in the shape of a grilse, the annual produce 

 of the river undergoes an increase of nearly 5,000 available fish." 

 [I certainly agree with Mr. T. T. S.'s plan of collecting and de- 

 positing the ova on Tweed. Since the stupidity of the act does 

 not, and will not, allow the fish to deposit the seed themselves, and 

 also permits the slaughter of these fish without reserve, some- 

 thing of that sort is essentially necessary, and the plan pro- 

 posed would at least secure the ripe part of the seed, and at 

 very little expense. ED.] 



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