18 INTRODUCTION. 



came law in 1828. For four centuries this old 

 Act of James I. regulated the close time in all the 

 rivers of Scotland, except the Tweed and the 

 Solway Frith and its tributaries; and which 

 proved very efficient for the protection of the 

 spawning fish, as the close time commenced on 

 the 15th of August, O.S., instead of as by Home 

 Drummond's Act on the 14th of September. 

 This additional month of open time allowed by 

 Home Drummond's Act to all methods of cap- 

 turing salmon, both by net and coble, and fixed 

 engines on the sea-coast, has gone far to accom- 

 plish the destruction of the fish in all the Scottish 

 rivers. Close time on the sea-coast, to be equal 

 to the same length of time on the rivers, should 

 commence a fortnight sooner; as a fish, caught 

 on the coast, many miles away from the mouth 

 of the river which it was trying to reach in order 

 to ascend for the purpose of spawning, would 

 take at least that time to reach the net and coble, 

 on the river; and hence the number of fish full 

 of spawn, and nearly ready for spawning, that 

 are caught at present from the 15th of August 

 (the commencement of the old time) until the 

 14th of September (the commencement of the 

 present close time). So, if we are to judge of 



