244 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



tions, have continued exercisable in Scotland, and in that 

 respect they were not very materially affected in 1868. 

 Their principal duties are to inspect the methods of curing ; 

 to place, when requested, a Government brand showing the 

 quality on barrels of herrings ; to enforce the registration 

 of boats ; to maintain order on the fishing-grounds ; to lay 

 out grants for the improvement of fishermen's harbours ; 

 and to prepare annual statistics. Although affecting Scot- 

 land only, three reasons will justify allusion being here 

 made to this Act. One reason is that it will be useful to 

 note that our modern legislative policy, by confining the 

 quality brands to Scotland, showed itself averse to the 

 extension of the grant of Government certificates of excel- 

 lence, in the form of brands on British fish, in order to 

 increase their sale in foreign markets ; another, that for 

 estimating their quality, most drift-net fish are divided into 

 three classes : those which are " full " of roe ; those which 

 have not yet developed roe, commonly called "maties" 

 (perhaps from Dutch maatje, a small measure, indicating 

 the form and size of the undeveloped germs of roe) ; and, 

 lastly, those which are "shotten," or whose roe is gone. 

 A remaining reason is that the word " British," as applied 

 to the Scotch Fishery Board, indicates the fact that, at an 

 earlier period, the practice of branding, now abolished, pre- 

 vailed in England.* 



It may here again be pointed out that, whereas it is easy 

 to write separately of the Sea Fishery Legislation affecting 

 Great Britain as opposed to that affecting Ireland, the 

 natural custom of mutually fishing off the coasts of their 

 respective districts which obtains amongst both Scotch and 

 English fishermen renders it in many cases impossible to 



* In 1876 the Irish inspectors very distinctly 'recommended that the 

 Scotch system of branding should not be extended to Ireland. 



