BEFORE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. 141 



fishing should not commence so early, and should 

 fish a little later; the destruction in the winter 

 season was dreadful ; a most destructive fishery 

 carried on in the Tweed in close time, when the 

 fish are spawning ; foul fish very unwholesome ; 

 no fish should be killed in close time, or by nets 

 travelling over the spawn beds ; in Ireland we 

 only use such nets in the tide- way, where there are 

 no spawn* ; assigns the decrease to the non-protec- 

 tion of the mother Jish and the destruction of the 

 fry ; the present law is not sufficient to protect the 

 breeding fish ; pollution of the water in some rivers 

 by machinery is detrimental ; does not think liming 

 the land is destructive ; salmon going into small 



NOTES. 



* This is the case here ; the seine is only used in the 

 tide-way. 



Whenever waters are polluted with improper matter, 

 there can be no doubt but it is extremely injurious to the 

 fish. But this is not the case with all rivers. There are 

 a great many, particularly in this county, where no such 

 occurrences take place, and the water is always as clear as 

 crystal. As salmon return to the same rivers where bred, 

 this can never cause a general decrease. It proceeds from 

 other causes : nor has the liming of land any thing to do 

 with it. As Mr. Little says, spawning fish should be kept 

 from small brooks ; an unfortunate pair of fish, forced 

 into a brook from inability to keep the main stream, will 

 meet with certain death. 



It is a bold thing to say that the magistrates do not un- 

 derstand the law, but, if it be true, why should it not be 



