190 Salmon at the Antipodes. 



In Norway, salmon are also extremely 

 abundant ; and in the rivers of the Pacific sea- 

 board of North America, the salmon fisheries 

 are wonderfully productive, the rivers in these 

 countries not having been closely fished till 

 recently. The extension of railways and of 

 rapid steam communication by sea has, by 

 bringing the salmon rivers within reach of 

 markets, caused that fish to become scarce, 

 and, like the deer and other wild game, it 

 would no doubt soon disappear altogether, 

 unless protected by wise legislation. 



In a work entitled " The Salmon," by Mr. 

 Alexander Eussel, it is stated that the annual 

 value of three Scotch fishery districts, "the 

 Tay, the Spey, and the twin rivers entering 

 the sea at Aberdeen, amounts to nearly £40,000; 

 and from the reports of the Irish Commis- 

 sioners we learn that in 1862 three Irish 

 railways conveyed 900,000 lbs. of salmon, being 

 equal in weight and treble in value to 15,000 

 sheep. In Scotland, the Tay alone furnishes 

 annually about 800,000 lbs., being equal in 

 weight and treble in value to 13,000 sheep. 

 The weight of salmon produced by the Spey is 

 equal to the weight of mutton annually yielded 



