A STUDY ON TROUT AND YOUNG SALMON. 303 



tection offered to the salmon by the regulation in question is 

 quite illusory. First of all, the cases in which salmon of a 

 smaller size than 55 cm. should be set free, occur so rarely, 

 that even this fact renders it indifferent whether these few fish 

 are set free or not. Secondly, the fish thus set free, may in 

 the next instant be caught in a fishing engine with a lawful 

 mesh and be sold in accordance with the law. 



That fish accidentally caught during the annual close time 

 should be liberated or at any rate not be killed, is presumably 

 a consequence of the regulation inforcing an annual close time. 

 Presumably these kinds of cases are, on account of their rare- 

 ness, of small consequence, 



Further as regards the regulations scetched under head 2) 

 the prohibition against the sale of salmon under 21 cm. in length 

 is of no importance when we remember that the length of emi- 

 grating young salmon practically speaking does not exceed 

 18 cm. Sale of such fish certainly touches the borders of im- 

 possibility. 



The prohibition against the capturing of salmon smaller 

 than 21 cm. in length is in our salmon low expressed as „pro- 

 hibition against the employment of fishing methods or fishing 

 gear, by means of which salmon of a smaller length then 21 cm. 

 may be caught". 



As regards the sea, this prohibition is entirely valueless. 

 This is clearly enough shown by my experiments. In all the 

 hundreds and thousands of hauls with seines effected by me in 

 the sea, not one single emigrating young salmon (smolt) has 

 been caught, except in the immediate vicinity of river mouths. 



As regards the rivers, such prohibition would seem justi- 

 fied, if it is considered necessary to stop sportsmen from kil- 

 ling the salmon fry accidentally caught in fishing for larger 

 fish, or to prevent boys from wantonly destroying fry, parr 

 and smolts. If these sources of destruction to salmon should 



