SALMON LEGISLA TION IN SCO TLAND. 547 



rental of the latter is 6000 or 7000 greater than that of the The Tweed. 

 Tweed. Again, the proprietors on the Tweed have assessed 

 themselves voluntarily to 7 per cent, more than they are 

 compelled to by the statutes, or 27 per cent, and they wish 

 power (which should be granted) to increase the assessment 

 to 30 per cent, while on the Tay the assessment is under 

 10 per cent, and the number of prosecutions less than one- 

 sixth. 



In 1875 the Special Commissioners remarked that the 

 average annual prosecutions on the Tweed were 271, 

 greater than the whole number for England and Wales 

 (266). This comparison hardly holds now, however. The 

 figures 266 were for a low year (1873). In 1880 they were 

 807 (645 convictions) and in 1881,604(501 convictions). 

 The Tweed can scarcely have increased to this extent 



The general poaching Acts should be made clearly to 

 apply to the Tweed, as well as to Scotland. 



Poaching in close time should be punished with the 

 cumulative penalties, that for contravening the close time, 

 and that for poaching alone. The word " cart " contained 

 in section 10 of the 1859 Act should be included in section 

 70 of the 1857 Act as to seizing of unseasonable fish and 

 the receptacles containing them. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



The proviso as to wear shot nets should be amended, 

 making the distance between them greater. Thirty yards 

 seems too little to be of much effect. In England the 

 distance must be one hundred yards. 



The Commissioners should obtain power to stake the 

 river so as to prevent illegal netting, which is prevalent in 

 the upper waters. It should be made unlawful to take 



2 N 2 



