Anniversary Address. 4t1 



Leisters and Spears are abolished. 



No foul fish are to be killed at any season, by any means. 



The use of cleeks or landing hooks by rod fishers are pro- 

 hibited till after the 1st of June, by which time the kelts have 

 generally left the river. 



If the evidence taken on this investigation is printed, much 

 valuable information will be found in reference to the habits of 

 the salmon. In the absence of it I refer you to the first and 

 second reports of Mr. Kennedy's Committee, taken in the 

 years 1824 and 1825, where the best information is to be 

 obtained on this interesting subject. 



In a paper read at the late meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion, by Sir William Jardine, one of our Members, on the 

 progress of the artificial propagation of salmon in the Tay, Sir 

 William stated that it has been found that one of the worst 

 enemies of the salmon ova in the breeding beds is the larvae 

 of the May-fly, a creature, which in its turn was preyed upon 

 by the common river trout. Now, the practice had prevailed 

 in rivers preserved for salmon fishing of destroying trout, though 

 this fact showed that the numbers of trouts ought not to be 

 unduly diminished, as by keeping down the May-fly they aided 

 in propagating salmon. As an illustration of this law of nature, 

 he pointed out that in parts of the country in which hawks 

 had been ruthlessly extirpated, with the object of encouraging 

 the head of game, wood-pigeons had increased to such an 

 extent as to have become a positive nuisance and most 

 injurious to the farmer ; and he showed the danger incurred 

 by unduly interfering with the balance established by nature 

 among wild animals. 



In addition to the remarks of Dr. Hood contained in his 

 interesting paper on Coldingham Priory, I may add, that on 

 Tuesday, the 5th of May, 1857, the workmen discovered the 

 tombs of two of the Priors. 



One is of Ernald the Prior, from 1202 to 1208, the coffin 

 lid is six and a half feet long, thirty inches wide at the 

 head, and twenty-two at the feet, and one foot in thickness, 

 and is inscribed thus : — 



