from which was 25,620 stone, worth 2, 500. Mr. Wilson 

 also reports that when the fishermen are unable to obtain 

 Mussels, they have had to bait their lines in many instances 

 with bullock's liver, and be content with half a catch of 

 fish. 



The greatest trouble I have in protecting my Mussel 

 beds is from a class of men who call themselves fishermen, 

 but who are half farm labourers and half fish hawkers, and 

 are the scum of the villages bordering on the coast. I 

 have lost from two to three thousand tons of Mussels in 

 one year by these men, which would otherwise have gone 

 to Scotland to be used as bait by real fishermen. All of 

 this might have been prevented had the Board of Trade 

 granted a provisional order for this fishery when requested. 

 Taking Mr. Wilson's figures, that sixty-one tons of Mussels 

 will catch 2, 500 worth of Haddocks, Cod, and Whiting, 

 one thousand tons of Mussels would catch about ^"41,000 

 worth of fish. 



Mr. John Doull, who succeeded Mr. Peter Wilson as Her 

 Majesty's Inspector of Fisheries at Eyemouth, writes to 

 me on the 3ist of May last as under : 



" I am not aware of any of the fishermen in this quarter 

 using Whelks as bait. At some places on this coast 

 Whelks are gathered and despatched to inland towns for 

 food. 



"Limpets are, however, collected in large quantities, 

 and used by our fishermen on their lines along with 

 Mussels. 



" Fishermen inform me that Mussels will keep alive for 

 three hours in water after they are taken out of the shell, 

 but speedily die when placed on the hook. 



" To increase the supply of Mussels, I think that leases 

 of suitable portions of foreshores should be granted to 



