84 THE HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE SALMON. 



" In the mean time we conclude by calling attention id 

 the following letter from a correspondent, who seems to be 

 thoroughly conversant with the subject, and whose re- 

 marks therefore are well deserving of attention ; he thinks 

 the close season commences much too late, and we are 

 disposed to agree with him. The great source of destruc- 

 tion, however, is, in our opinion, the excessive multipli- 

 cation of unauthorised fisheries along the coast. 



" ' To the Editor of the Reformers' Gazette. 



"'Sir, In the Gazette of the 14th inst., I see an ar- 

 ticle on the fast-decaying state of <l Salmon Fishings in 

 Scotland." And indeed the falling off in the numbers of 

 that valuable fish is truly alarming to all who are con- 

 cerned in any way with salmon fishings. The decrease 

 has been gradual for the last twenty-three years, and the 

 decaying state of the fisheries during that time has been 

 as often represented to the proprietors of these fisheries ; 

 but as long as rents could be got with even a small de- 

 crease all applications for alteration in the manner and 

 management of the fisheries were in vain. The article in 

 the " Gazette " is quite sound with regard to bag-nets and 

 fixtures, and even had they not reduced the general quan- 

 tity of salmon, they could only be viewed in the light of a 

 permitted robbery. For when the Crown granted a char- 

 ter of salmon fishing to proprietors on rivers, it was not 

 the intention of the grantor that another party would be 

 allowed to raise up barriers on all the main runs of the 

 fish, and there intercept them on their way to these rivers. 

 I hold that the Crown, to whom all salmon fishings be- 

 long, would be breaking faith with the parties to whom 

 they granted the fishings of rivers, were they even to do 

 what they have allowed others to do all around our coasts. 

 When Crown grants of fishings were given, that was done 

 under very wise restrictions, and these with a view to the 

 general good ; for salmon in those days was no inconsi- 

 derable part of the food of the country, and it was the 

 intention of government to continue it so. The indi- 

 viduals to whom these grants were made, were prohibited 



